The Name of the Prey
by TheKhajiitWarrior
Summary: The Blood Ceremony goes horribly wrong, and the newest member of The Companions goes on a rampage throughout Whiterun. Despite Aela and Skjor's best attempts to capture the whelp, the crazed werewolf escapes and lays ruin to the city before escaping. Now it's up to Aela to capture her and return her to Kodlak for judgement. Female Khajiit/Aela & mature in later chapters.
1. The Blood Ceremony

I bite down on my lip hard enough to draw blood as my eyes flicker around the courtyard. Skjor told me to meet him here at night, and now the moon dominates the sky. It's time. I'm not sure for what, but I'll find out soon enough. The damned waiting proves to be too much; I start pacing as my breathing and pulse begin to speed up like a runaway horse. My own heartbeat fills my ears, and eventually it causes a dull throb behind my eyes. I find myself cracking my knuckles, a tick I picked up when I was just a kid. I force myself to stop and throw myself into the pacing. It doesn't work in the slightest. A few seconds later my hands are back in position and I'm cracking as many joints as I can.

My fur is sticking to me and I've broken out in a cold sweat. I take a moment to find a reflective surface to look at myself. My gigantic tangerine mane is plastered against my peach colored fur, the long hairs of my thicker mane tangling with the shorter hairs that cover the rest of my body. The white splash around my mouth and nose is the only other color on my face. And, below my armor there are spots of white on my hands, feet, stomach, and the end part of my fluffy tail. Throughout my pelt are thin lines of vermilion color that break up the flow of the peach color. Kind of like tiny rivers of darkness. They're barely visible, but in the light of day they brighten up my entire pelt. Usually I'd call myself quite beautiful.

At least, I think I'm beautiful. My aquamarine eyes and light orange nose are my best features, but there's more than just that. Like my ivory claws and decent sized breast. On any other day I might even stop to admire myself more. But today isn't any other day, and right now I'm terrified. My sweat is causing my fur armor to stick to me, and my leather boots are even starting to feel the heat. Oh well, it could always be worse. I could be wearing gauntlets and a helmet. Besides, I'm wearing the fur armor that leaves most of my upper body exposed. In fact, the only thing doing any real protection is the strap of fur around my breast. I'm the first to admit that my armor's shit, but in this instance it's actually helpful.

Now I can reach every part of my body in my attempt to hide the fact I'm sweating like a pig. I somehow manage to pat myself somewhat dry, and by the time Skjor arrives I'm presentable. However, the man still eyes me like I'm something that got stuck on the bottom of his shoe. "Are you ready?". I nod and hear my hide shield and iron sword bang together on my back. Skjor gives me a dirty look at the sound, so I quickly stop nodding and squeak, "Ready.". He looks less than impressed, but doesn't say anything as he begins leading me around the side of Jorrvaskr. When we stop we're standing beside the stone cliff that holds up the Skyforge. Skjor looks around, then reaches out and pushes against one section of the wall.

The rock slides away and Skjor steps inside. When I hesitate (following strange men into dark places doesn't seem like a good idea) he motions me in and promises, "Nothing bad is going to happen.". I slowly go into the cave and nearly jump out of my skin when the door slams shut behind me. Skjor scoffs and commands, "Come on.". I follow him deeper into the cave. We enter what appears to be a sort of sanctum. Four empty alters are around the rugged room, and a basin is raised in the middle of the area. Beside the basin is a sight that nearly causes me to run away in fright. The monstrous wolf-like creature turns its head towards me. The werewolf's black little eyes dig into me as a red tongue licks its dagger-like teeth.

Skjor walks over to the monster and places a hand on its shaggy black fur as he explains, "Aela here has volunteered to usher you into the higher ranks of The Companions.". I take a moment to digest the information before weakly asking, "Are all members of The Circle werewolves?". He nods and seems almost irritated as he further explains, "Lycanthropy is a great power that's rarely bestowed upon lower members. You should be honored that we consider you worthy enough to join our ranks and receive our blessing. Now, are you ready to move up and become one of us?".

I eye Aela and ask one last question. "What if I don't want to become a werewolf?". Skjor shrugs and looks offended as he snarls, "You won't move up in rank or be blessed with our gift.". Aela lightly hits his shoulder with her gigantic clawed hand. The man sighs and mumbles, "But I suppose we could wait until you're ready.". I take a few seconds to take in what's happening, then manage to squeak, "I'm ready.". Skjor seems slightly relieved he won't have to wait for me to make up my mind. The man pulls a dagger from his boot and struts over to Aela. He grabs the woman's arm and yanks it above the bowl, then slashes her wrist open. The blood splatters inside the basin and slowly fills it.

Once the cup is overflowing Aela pulls back, licking her own wound in an attempt to stop it. Skjor motions at the basin and commands, "Drink, and become one of us.". I slowly walk over to the raised bowl and climb onto the rock that holds it. My uneasy reflection looks back at me from the red liquid. Skjor motions again and sighs. "You said you were ready to share our power. Were you lying?". I shake my head and tentatively lean down, using my hand to scoop some of the liquid in my mouth. I nearly gag at the hot blood, but somehow manage to chock it down. A large buzzing noise fills my ears and I feel myself falling backwards, my head connecting with the floor.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

The second the Khajiit is down Skjor and I are beside her. My fellow Companion checks for a pulse while I sniff her. Skjor looks up at me and starts to say something, but he's stopped by a howl from the woman. Both of us spring away as she struggles to her knees, the transformation already overcoming her. In a trance-like state she frees herself of her items and begins rapidly twitching in a sick dance. Finally, thick black fur begins to burst through her normal pelt. The woman's fangs become longer and her entire body begins to morph as her insides change. When she's finally done she rises, and something different becomes apparent. She's an entire foot taller than me, and it's clear she's more heavily muscled.

The Khajiit sniffs the air and looks around. When her gaze falls on Skjor I realize something's gone wrong. All my companion can do is scream as the woman launches herself at him. The werewolf uses her gigantic arm to knock him aside. Skjor hits the stone wall and slides down to the floor, stunned. I howl and grab onto the Khajiit's leg, yanking on it as hard as I can. The woman stumbles and turns around, her lips curled back to reveal fangs similar to mine. I can see it in her eyes that she's no longer a reasonable and thoughtful human being. She's become a monster. A monster that's bigger than me.

I take one step back in preparation of a fight, but the woman's attention is elsewhere. She's looking behind me. I look over my shoulder and see the door Skjor brought the woman through is still slightly opened. It appears it didn't swing shut all the way. In one sickening moment I realize what the whelp intends on doing, but I'm too late to stop her. She rams into me and successfully forces me to the side. All I can do is howl and attempt to strike her as she charges past me. My claws brush harmlessly through her fur and my howl only seems to make her go faster. A _crack_ tells me the woman's knocked the door open, and a howl tells me she's thrilled at her new freedom.

Somehow I don't think the citizens of Whiterun will feel the same way. I scrabble over to Skjor and nudge him with my nose. My friend grumbles and opens his eyes. It takes him a few seconds to get to his feet, but by then I already have a plan. I point outside and hop up and down slightly. Skjor gets the idea and kneels down, his transformation far faster than the Khajiit's. When we're both ready I rush outside, screams already reaching my ears. Skjor and I charge down the steps and instantly freeze. We're too late. We're far too late. Amren, Jon Battle-Born, Nazeem, Ahlam, and multiple guards litter the area around the Gildergreen. The werewolf stands in the middle of the mess, and she's not idle.

Some of the corpses are missing arms, legs, the stomachs, or any other part of their body that can be easily torn off and eaten. Even now the werewolf is shuffling among the dead bodies, sniffing at one and snapping off its hand. The werewolf is completely splattered in blood, and bits of muscle and meat are clinging to the fur around her muzzle. She's a grizzly and terrifying sight, but if we don't stop her she'll continue her rein of terror. So, I crouch down and prepare to leap at her. Unfortunately Skjor blows my plan to oblivion. My fellow roars and charges. The Khajiit looks up and leaps to the side. My companion can't stop in time and ends up hitting one of the poles that surrounds the small square.

He whimpers as he goes down, successfully knocked unconscious. The larger werewolf scoffs and begins walking over to him, licking her lips as she goes. I don't waste any time and leap, but don't snarl or growl. Making a noise is the stupidest thing to do during a battle, as Skjor just proved. I go flying through the air and land dead on the woman's back. She yelps as she goes down, too surprised to begin bucking or really fighting. I take her moment of distraction to keep attacking her. My claws dig into her flesh and tear as I chomp down on her ear, shaking my head in my attempt to subdue the larger werewolf.

For a few moments my attack works and she simply lies down underneath me, then she regains herself and fights back. All it takes is one buck from her and I'm sent tumbling off. The second she's free she bolts away, howling at nothing. Looks like my plan only served to make her pissed. I'm standing up when I hear screaming from the inn. I run there as fast as I can, but I'm still too late. An armored warrior is hanging from the Khajiit's claws as she desperately tries to bite through his armor. Ysolda, Hulda, and Mikael are all huddled together in the corner and shaking in fear. When they see me all three of them let out moans of terror and begin shaking harder.

Finally, the bloody werewolf manages to rip the dead man's armor off him. With a triumphant gleam in her eye she drops the man, settles down beside him, and begins feasting. I carefully look around the room and make preparations. I shove a table in front of the two doorways that lead outside, then begin stalking up to the woman. She's eaten the man's insides and is busy gnawing on an arm. Without a sound I charge at her. The woman doesn't even look up as she holds her closed fist out, allowing me to ram into it. I stumble backwards as the woman stands up. For a moment I fear she'll attack the huddled citizens, but instead she heads for the door.

The gigantic werewolf tosses the table to the side and struts through, bloody paw prints pointing at where she went. I manage to force myself to my feet and charge outside, leaving the citizens to cower behind me. I follow the prints until they reach the steps leading up to Dragonsreach. I freeze and can't decide what to do. Surely she wouldn't have the guts to go up to the Jarl's living place and try to kill anyone. More screaming answers my question.


	2. Capture

As I pound up the steps the screaming only gets worse. By the time I run through the destroyed door the entire court is in a panic. Well, the ones that aren't dead are. Fianna, Gerda, Dagny, Farengar, and a dozen or so guards are all littered around the room. All of the deaths are concerning, but Dagny's demise causes me to panic. The Khajiit has killed the Jarl's own daughter. Surely he'll want revenge. My attention is snapped back to reality as the werewolf appears out of the kitchen, an arm dangling from her mouth. The beast takes a deep breath, drops the appendage, and bounds over to Dagny. I roar and charge at her. My goal isn't to stop her, but to take all her attention away from the juicy corpse right in front of her.

The whelp barely looks up at me and dives into her meal. I slam into her side and begin clawing at her. She can't ignore me anymore. I'm thrown across the room and a heavy weight smacks into my side. Perfect. Now that I have her attention all I have to do is get her away from the general population. I allow her a few scratches, then break away and bolt outside. For a moment I fear the woman won't follow me, then I feel something _snap_ a few inches away from my hindquarters. I pick up the pace and pound down the steps. The werewolf is right behind me, but my distraction doesn't last for long.

A little girl is running down the streets for some reason, and as I get closer I realize it's Mila Valentia calling for her mother. I skid to a halt and go down a back ally to avoid her. However, I don't hear the familiar panting or snapping of my fellow werewolf following me. A scream pierces the night and I know why. I stop in my tracks and scale the building next to me, then climb over the roof and leap to the street below. Mila is already half-eaten, the bloody werewolf hanging on to half of her body as she eats the rest. I open my mouth to roar, but a _clinking_ sound interrupts me. I look up at Dragonsreach and see at least twenty guards pounding down the steps.

I turn back to the woman, but she's already gone. I barely catch a glimpse of her tail as she climbs up and over the wall of Whiterun, successfully making her grand escape. All she leaves is the remainder of Mila's body. I growl in frustration and rush back to the square with the Gildergreen. Skjor is still knocked out beside the pole, and the guards are almost upon us. All I have time to do is bite into the man's tail and begin dragging him back to Jorrvaskr. Halfway to our safe haven my vision goes blurry. I'm about to revert back to my human form. And, the guards' footsteps are getting louder. I quicken my pace as panic increases my heartbeat. I _just_ get us inside The Underforge when my body begins to change.

I groan and stumble away, my transformation quickly ending. As I slowly put my armor back on Skjor mumbles. By the time I'm done he's regained consciousness, transformed back, and is able to sit up. Once he's dressed I crawl over to him and sit beside him. "So, what happened?". I sigh and explain, "We fucked up, and multiple people are dead because of it.". Skjor groans and says, "We'd better go tell Kodlak.". I nod and we both stand. Once we're outside I expect a patrol of guards to come and attack us, but we're uninterrupted on our way to Kodlak. Our leader is asleep in his bed when we find him, but he's up the second he sees the blood on both of us.

Kodlak shuts the door to his room, sits down at the foot of his bed, and calmly demands, "What happened?". I swallow and prepare to say something, but my fellow Companion interrupts by telling Kodlak, "Aela tried to change the newest whelp. I went there to talk some sense into them, but they wouldn't listen. Then, the Khajiit went wild and killed multiple people. We both tried to stop her, but I was knocked out and Aela was too weak.". I freeze and my ears begin filling with white noise. What?! I turn to see Skjor's face. He isn't meeting my gaze as he looks at the ground. He realizes how serious our mistake was, so he's decided to let me take all the blame!

I flip back to Kodlak and snarl, "HE'S LYING!". I can tell from my leader's face that he doesn't believe me. My skin prickles as I continue to defend, "We BOTH thought about changing her!". Kodlak takes a deep breath, holds it, and slowly releases it. "Aela, there's no shame in making a mistake.". I nod and agree, "There isn't, but there's shame in not admitting to your mistakes! And, that's exactly what Skjor is doing! We both did it, so we should both be punished!". Kodlak shakes his head and continues to insist, "There's no shame in making a mistake, but there's shame in lying. Now, did Skjor _really_ help you?". I nod and he shakes his head again. I open my mouth to argue, but a glare from Kodlak stops me.

Once I'm silent he tells me, "You'll need to contain the newest werewolf. Find her, capture her, and bring her back here for her punishment. Can you do that?". I continue bristling and ask, "Will Skjor be coming with me?". When Kodlak shakes his head I sigh and question, "Do I really have a choice in the matter?". He shakes his head and I stand up, giving Skjor one last glare as I tell my leader, "Fine, I'll go catch her.". I turn without another word and march away, my pride bruised and aching. The city is oddly silent as I walk and the bodies are all gone, but blood is staining everything. I can't even imagine what the fallout is going to be tomorrow morning.

I find the area where Mila died, then go from there. Deep scratch marks tell me where the Khajiit went over, so it's fairly easy to climb over and find more evidence of where the woman went. Bloody prints and scratches in the ground point westward. I sigh as I stand up. Nothing is out to the west until she hits The Reach. By the time I find her she'll be back to her human form. Naked, alone, afraid, and unconscious for a brief period of time. Any predator or hunter could easily pick her off. I guess that just means I'll have to find her before anything else does. I keep an eye on her prints as I run away from Whiterun, and eventually I have the sense to draw my bow and notch an arrow.

No enemy makes its presence known, but I can never be too careful. The tracks eventually lose their shine of blood and become harder to read. When that happens I'm forced to rely on all the tracking I know, but even that eventually proves fruitless. I look around to make sure I'm alone, then crouch down and allow my transformation to start taking place. Right before it happens I strip of my armor and weapons, and the transformation finally finishes. I slowly stand and reclaim my items, then fall to my hands and feet. One sniff of the ground and I've successfully picked up the Khajiit's unique scent. Like a soaking wet cat.

She might have been able to hide her prints, but the smell that clings to her trail can't be covered up. Through the fields of Whiterun, over a small stream, and a sudden turn southwards. Now I'm going into the thick woods of Falkreath, up and over a small rocky hill, and up a steep mountain. Suddenly, screams reach my ears. Who in oblivion could the woman possibly be attacking now?! I charge over a small ridge and get my answer. All of the Falkreath guards are gathered around the woman in the middle of the small city, and they can't do a damned thing to stop her. The monster swings her claws wildly all around her, occasionally stopping to snap at a man that's come too close.

The sheer amount of dead bodies around her is baffling, and the entire place is soaked in blood. It's staining the ground, splattered on the guards' armor, and covering the werewolf from her head to her toes. I take a deep breath and let out a howl. The guards all turn to me, scream, and run away. The whelp stands up and shuffles her paws, obviously debating on following her prey or not. In the end she doesn't. Instead, she plops down and begins digging into the multiple corpses surrounding her. I huff and get a sudden idea. I crouch down and sneak over to the woman, but she isn't my target. I slowly reach out, grab a dead body, and drag it away.

Once the body's safely hidden under a tree I go over to the blacksmith's area. I find an unfinished chain underneath the stairs. It's not the best piece of metal in the world, but it fits the description of what I need. I pick the chain up in my jaws and go back to the body. Finally, I finish preparations of my plan. I use my claws and fangs to rip the corpse to shreds. Now all I have to do is wait until I'm human again. Thankfully, there are enough corpses to occupy the woman in that small length of time. When I'm once again human I pick up the chain and tie it into a loose collar and leash. Then, I carefully pick up a bloody piece of meat and make a whistling sound.

The werewolf drops the femur she's chewing on and turns to me. A single twitch of her nose is all the warning I get. The tremendous beast tackles me, and the only reason I'm alive is because she focuses on the meat clutched in my hand. Once it's devoured she leaps off of me and starts sniffing at the other pieces of bloody meat. I take the opportunity to slowly walk up to her. The werewolf isn't thrilled I'm coming near her, but she can tell I'm one of her fellows. She nearly snaps my arm off when I start lowering the chain necklace over her head, but my quick reflexes save me. Once the collar is on her she doesn't seem to mind in the least, but that may have to do with the food more than anything.

I pick up some meat and whistle again. The woman looks at me and I dangle the meat in front of her. She growls and snaps, but I yank it away at the last second. The werewolf moves a few feet, then pauses and looks back at me. I repeat the process a few times, and eventually grab onto the chain hanging from around her neck. I couldn't really do anything if she started to run away, but it's still slightly comforting that I have a hold on her. It takes us all night and well into the day before Whiterun comes into sight. The werewolf is now steadily plodding along wherever I yank her. She lost interest in the prospect of a reward a while ago. Now it's just curiosity that's driving her.

I find the secret entrance to The Underforge and carefully climb up into it, then managed to entice the woman to following me. I'm sweating like a pig and exhausted, but at least it's almost over. That's when a noise comes from outside. Kodlak comes in, followed by all the members of The Circle. Before I can say a word Kodlak tells me, "Ah, good. You're here. We need to talk.". Those words have _never_ been good, and I don't think the trend is about to be broken.


	3. Bloated Man's Grotto

I swallow and ask, "What's going on?". My werewolf companion is taking the chance to flop down on the ground and pant. All of my fellow Companions hang back besides Kodlak. He steps forward and explains, "The Jarl contacted us.". Oh by the nine. "And, he told us how many people died because of the attack.". I manage to squeak, "How many?". Kodlak shakes his head and answers, "Over fifty guards. Nine regular civilians were killed, including the Jarl's own daughter. Seven guards are in the temple because of wounds, and only two of them are expected to pull through. Three civilians are likewise wounded, and none of them are expected to survive the night.".

His already serious face tightens even more as he continues. "Multiple homes have some sort of damage to them, and the entire great hall in Dragonsreach needs to be fixed.". He shakes his head, but his voice remains calm. "That's ignoring all the damned blood. Almost the entire city needs to be washed.". Skjor decides to jump in. "That's going to be nearly impossible considering nobody wants to come here now!". Kodlka shoots Skjor a glare, and the younger man calms down as Kodlak takes over the conversation. "He's right. Merchants, warriors, and travelers are all avoiding Whiterun and anything in our hold. The tale of the werewolf's attack has reached all corners of Skyrim. It seems we're stuck with The Reach's title of 'most dangerous hold'.".

The werewolf beside me slowly rises, and it appears she's caught her breath. Everyone suddenly falls silent and tenses up. The werewolf looks around, licks her bloody maw, and slowly heads for the door. All of my fellow Companions draw their weapons, but something else happens first. The chain in my hand goes taunt, slightly pulling on the Khajiit's neck. The beast looks at the chain and follows it with her eyes. When she sees me she blinks and walks back over to me. Everyone relaxes as she flops back down. The chair around her neck might not hold her, but it appears she isn't going to break the unspoken rule it carries. The rule being 'don't move'.

Kodlak waits for a few more moments, then resumes speaking. "He's given us an outstanding fine. It accounts for all the killings, those who won't survive, property damage, assault, and the death of a Jarl's family member.". I take a deep breath and whisper, "How much?". He shakes his head and tells me, "A hundred thousand gold.". I nearly scream in frustration, but manage to contain myself and say, "None of us have that kind of gold!". He nods and can't meet my eyes as he picks up. "There was ... _another_ option.". I begin to panic and tell him, "I don't like that kind of tone.". He nods and agrees, "You shouldn't.". He manages to meet my eyes. "We had the option of putting the bounty on one of our members instead of our organization.".

The chain slides from my grasp and _clinks_ against the floor. My werewolf companion looks at the chain, but remains on the ground. "You put the bounty on me.". He nods and tries to explain, "We weren't sure if you'd be able to bring the werewolf back alive. We'd thought about putting the bounty on you and switching it to her, but the Jarl didn't want it to work like that. He said to choose, and if the werewolf ended up dying the bounty would go back to being on The Companions as a whole. We decided on you.". I tighten my hands into fist, my nails nearly breaking the skin. Kodlak looks at both of us and swallows. "I'm afraid that none of us have the money, so the bounty will have to remain.".

All of The Companions draw their weapons, but relax when Kodlak motions at them. He straightens his back and looks at me. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave the hold until you have the money.". Everyone is shuffling their feet. "I truly wish it didn't have to be this way, but it is. So, we'll give you a twenty hour start, then we'll be forced to hunt you down at the Jarl's command.". I look at all of them and whisper, "_Are you being serious?!_". Kodlak nods and motions at the werewolf beside me. "I'd suggest you take her along with you. You could always leave her, but her head will be the first to roll after twenty hours.".

I hear white noise begin to fill my ears, my heartbeat pounding away beneath the noise. I pick up the chain and snarl, "Fuck all of you.". Kodlak looks at me and prepares to say something, but I interrupt him. I walk over to the werewolf and plop down on her back. The beast looks up at me, but she doesn't buck me or try to fight. Looks like she's finally calmed down. I wrap the chain around her neck a few times and snarl again (but this time only directed at Skjor), "I hope you burn in oblivion.". Maybe it's a little harsh, but it's probably the last thing I'll ever say to him. I need it to stick. Finally, I'm ready to go. I yank on the werewolf's chain. She snorts and looks up at me.

Damn it, cooperate for once in your life! I can't end this by climbing off of you and walking away, I'll look like a fool! The woman can't tell what I'm thinking, but for some reason she complies. The monster stands up, and I wrap my legs around her waist and keep my hands on the chain. The Khajiit shuffles a little and I can tell the new leash isn't comfortable, but at least she isn't being strangled. I kick her in a certain direction and manage to get her turned around. I don't need to do anything else for the next part. The blood covered werewolf drops to all fours, lets out a roar that shakes the cave, and bolts out the back entrance.

Once we're a safe distance away from the city (and on a main road) I yank on the chains. The werewolf slows down and eventually stops, flopping down on the ground. I roll my eyes and pull out a map. Where in oblivion can we go? I've already silently decided to become an ally of the werewolf. She'll need my help, and she proved herself to be a strong Companion. Besides, fugitives have to stick together. I pull some charcoal from my boot and scribble out Whiterun hold (but I do it lightly in case I need to brush it off later). I consider scratching out Falkreath, but I think we'll be safe there. Anyone who knew who the werewolf could have been is dead.

I begin looking for caves and bandit hideouts. Places where we could hide and not be bothered. As I'm examining the map I hear the werewolf growl. I should probably handle the situation, but instead I simply step off of her. The beast bolts away and I hear a deer scream. Good, she didn't eat a person. A crunching and ripping sound reach my ears. Looks like the Khajiit will be in her werewolf form a little longer. I finally find a suitable hideout named 'Bloated Man's Grotto'. It's located west of Riverwood and north of Falkreath. It's also off the main road from Whiterun to Markarth. Perfect. Easy to get to, far away from any city, and within (werewolf) running distance. I whistle to the werewolf.

She stops chewing on her deer and trots over. I'm not sure how much longer she'll listen to me, but all I have to do is get to Bloated Man's Grotto. I memorize the path, put my map up, and climb onto the werewolf. I point her in the right direction and shake the chains. She falls to all fours and bolts. The best thing about riding her is she doesn't need to go around anything or make turns. She claws up the hills, rushes or jumps over any dips, and only needs a few strokes to paddle through a river. All the while I just adjust for the situation. Hanging on, pulling my legs up, or anything else that's required. The Khajiit follows all of my kicking and pulling instructions, but it still takes us a little while to find the place.

It's simply a small hole in the side of the cave. No landmarks or anything to find it. That's why we pass by it three times before finally seeing it. As the werewolf walks inside I think about how perfect it is. If I can't see it, then there's no way a random adventurer or scout will find this place. Well, besides looking on their map. But who wants to go to a place called 'Bloated Man's Grotto'? My thoughts are interrupted by the woman entering the tunnel. The entrance led us into a natural tunnel with torches on the walls lighting the way, as it descends to the northwest. The thick vegetation on the walls reaches out, brushing against us as we walk.

At the bottom the tunnel opens out into an idyllic grotto with trees and plants, waterfalls and flowers, rabbits, and flying insects. The werewolf walks ahead into a large clear grotto, a surprise waiting for us. Two cave bears roar and challenge us. All it takes is a roar from the Khajiit to send them running. She prepares to chase them, but I shush her and pat her neck. The werewolf calms and doesn't pursue her prey. Probably for the best. We can always kill them later if we need to. I slide of the woman and finally free her of her chains. She blinks at me, then bolts away after the bears. Damn. Oh well, I have more important things to do. I take a moment and look around the grotto.

There's the path that leads back to the entrance, and the path that leads past a bubbling pool to wherever the bears went. The animals I saw are now gone. The werewolf's roar is probably the reason. The cliffs that protect the clearing are covered in vegetation, and plants are alive around the edges of the clearing. A few logs are in a corner and I quickly decide that's the most likely place I'll sleep. The pool looks clean enough to drink from, and there's plenty of food. Yep, this was the right choice to make. But I shouldn't have had to have made that choice. The werewolf suddenly returns, covered in blood and with a bear's arm in her snout.

For some reason she only adds to my growing passion. My nails are digging into my palm, I'm grinding my teeth, and my heartbeat is going wild. She didn't even have a choice in the matter. Her transformation was terrible and difficult for her. She wasn't even in the right mind when she attacked! She shouldn't be getting punished, Skjor and I should. And, Skjor is getting away with it! I feel a steady throbbing at the back of my skull, and a scent catches my attention. Blood. The throbbing increases and I moan in agony. The werewolf drops the arm and backs away, prepared to run. I fall to my hands and knees as my entire skeletal system begins rearranging itself.

Another moan. Thick black fur begins to burst through my elongating hands, my nails shooting out and becoming claws. My eyesight narrows and a snout comes into my view. Muscles expand and build, bones break and reform, my spine becomes longer. Without thinking I begin fumbling with my armor and weapons, freeing them _just_ in time. Finally, I'm done. I stand and look around. My only pack member is still coated in blood. I strut over to her and consider what to do. Eating the bears would be a good start, but why would I do that? There's an entire graveyard in Falkreath, and human flesh is _so_ much better. Besides, what are they going to do, put a bounty on me? I already have one. Yeah, I know what I'm going to do. I roar at my lessor, then begin to run.


	4. Falkreath

Falkreath comes into view after a few minutes of hard running. We've standing atop the cliff that overlooks the town, all of the buildings laid bare for our eyes to see. The poor citizens and guards are still fixing the damage my pack member did last night. Fixing ruined buildings, dragging the dead to the graveyard, and cleaning the blood from the streets. My pack member is edgy, and she won't stop pacing behind me. I look over my shoulder and growl at her. The black beast once opposed me, but now she listens. The gigantic black monster sits down on her ass, but whimpers and begins sniffing the air. Blood is still splattered all over her front and adding to her terrifying appearance.

I realize she has a point. Soon enough the city will be asleep, and our chance at a feast will be gone. I look at the sky and see the moon shining down on us, stars dancing around it. I lick my lips and turn back to my companion, giving a single nod as a signal. My younger friend bounds up and goes to the edge of the cliff. She drops to all fours and begins wiggling her toes, unsure of what to do. I inwardly sigh and push her over. She gives out a single yelp as she goes down, then the Khajiit manages to grab onto the side of the cliff. Her razor-like claws shred into the stone, anchoring her. The werewolf realizes my plan and begins climbing down the cliff.

I follow her lead. She's faster than me, but occasionally she'll stop to properly get her footing. That's why I reach the bottom of the cliff and am forced to wait for her to catch up. Finally, she appears. I motion at the city a few feet away from us. She nods and licks her black lips. I don't wait for a further response as I bolt over the city's short waist-high wooden fence and pound into the city. My companion charges after me, panting and staying by my side. The first person to notice us is a guard that's dragging a dead citizen to the graveyard. He sees us and drops the corpse, then screams as he draws his blade. The Khajiit sinks her fangs into his arm, ripping off the appendage.

I lash out and slash his chest, and the Khajiit finishes him by dropping his arm and snapping at his neck. Warm, thick blood washes over both of us as the wonderful stench of fear and death invade my nose. As the guard goes down everyone else becomes aware of the threat. A citizen was washing away blood about ten feet away from us, so she's the closest. I handle her on my own. She's unarmored, so my claws rip through her like butter. A scream from somewhere tells me my pack member has someone, and a triumphant howl assures me she's won. A few guards are running down the street towards me, and in an instant the Khajiit is by my side and ready to fight.

The three men suddenly stop, and one of them breaks and begins running away. The Khajiit and I both move as one, thinking the exact same thing. 'Two guards, two of us. A meal for each.'. The guard I'm facing holds his sword out in front of me, obviously hoping I'm too stupid to stop myself and go careening into his blade. I smirk a little and wait until the last possible second, then jump. I sail over the man's head and flip around in midair, landing right behind him and looking at his back. Without hesitation I turn my head and open my mouth as wide as I can. The guard screams as I strike, biting down on his midsection. My teeth slide through the cloth of his armor, then _crunch_ his metal protection into his flesh.

A few of my fangs even break through the iron, and the sweet taste of human blood fills my mouth. The guard dropped his sword the second I bit down, and now he's desperately punching my head in an attempt to dislodge me. It's about as effective as a flea punching a cat. I turn my head back to its normal position, the guard forced to flip around with me. Now the man is hanging from my jaws, at my mercy. I smile as I bite down, more _crunching_ reaching my ears as hot blood washes into my mouth. The man's life slowly pumps out of him, eventually overflowing my jaws and washing down my front.

Finally, the man's heart stops. I look over at my companion and see her struggling to get off her guard's armor. I drop my own meal and walk over to her. When she senses me approaching she tenses up, and for a good reason. She's bigger, but now that her original 'blood lust' has subsided I'm stronger. I could very easily knock her over the head and take her meal. I once again inwardly sigh at her actions. Will it always be like this? Will she ever consider me a pack member? If she wants to survive longer than a month, then that's what she's going to have to do. She's still tense when I reach her, but calms down once I sit beside her. I'm about to touch her food, then realize I should probably do something first.

I lean over and press my forehead against her shoulder, closing my eyes and allowing a moment of relaxation to pass between us. Her muscles unclench and she moves back a little, allowing me to reach her guard. I nod at her and lean down. It takes me a few moments, then I find the lacing of his armor. I carefully work my tooth into one, then yank. His armor _clinks_ away from itself, allowing a small glance at his unprotected side. I sink my teeth into the man's breastplate and toss it over my shoulder, then do the same to the armor that protects his back. The Khajiit can do the rest.

The woman seems shocked that I've done something for her, but doesn't bother questioning it when her hunger takes over. As she settles into her own meal I head back over to mine. I likewise strip mine of his armor and sit down beside him. My fangs slide through his pale flesh, spread his muscles, and scrape against bones. Finally, my teeth _click_ together. With a violent yank I tear a chunk of his flesh out, a small amount of blood flying through the air and landing on my head. As I work the meat around in my mouth I lie down, getting comfortable. Who in oblivion is going to stop me? This is the second attack in two nights. Nobody was expecting it, and everyone was unprepared.

Now all they can do is sit back and take it. Anyone who stands up against us will be eaten. And, I've found I rather like the unique taste of human flesh. Like veal, only somehow better. The Khajiit seems to agree with me because she's ravenously attacking her own guard. She's devouring organs, muscles, fat, and whatever else she can get her teeth on. She was already covered with blood, but now she's added another layer. I'll have to clean her up before she changes back to her human form. It's one thing for our wolf forms to be bloody and disgusting, but it's a completely different thing for our human forms to be.

I decide I've watched the woman enough. My own meal is getting cold, and a growling in my stomach demands attention. It only takes us a few minutes to devour the choicest parts of our guards, then move onto the others. First, we eat the first guard and the citizen. Then, we go about eating the dead that aren't buried. That takes us quite a while, but the moon is still high in the sky when we're done. The Khajiit begins scratching at the door of someone's house, and I quickly take it upon myself to stop her. I trot over and knock my head against her shoulder. She stops and gives me a 'what?' look. I yank my head over to the right, in the general direction of the graveyard.

Eating people who've been dead for a while isn't exactly pleasant, but digging is easier than ripping a door apart. Besides, we can't kill _everyone_. Who would be left to reproduce and attract travelers? The Khajiit doesn't follow my logic and goes back to trying to rip the door apart. I give her a single growl. It's only a small warning, but it's one she follows. My pack member stops scratching and turns to me, finally willing to follow. I trot over to the graveyard and begin sniffing. Occasionally I'll look at headstones, but none of them tell when the person died. Looks like we'll just have to rely on blind luck and random selection to guide us.

We spend the next few hours digging up graves and eating the corpses. The moist ground clogs my nose with the smell of fresh dirt, and the soil gets stuck on my claws. However, the rewards are usually worth it. Every corpse is terrible by normal standards, but there are always those parts. A thick leg, a healthy arm, or a nice stomach. There's always something, and only a few of the corpses are too decayed to eat. I'm digging into a decent sized torso when the moon finally sets, bathing me in the sunlight. I hop out of the grave and let out a howl. My companion sticks her head up from the grave beside me. Her left ear is smashes down, a small pile of dirt is on her head, and a bone is stuffed in her mouth.

I motion at the sky and she seems to understand. It's one thing to attack at night, but humans tend to grow braver during the day. Whoever's still alive is coming up with a plan, and I'm certain they'll be dead-set on driving us from their city. So, we'll have to be gone before they finally grow the balls to carry out their plan. The Khajiit follows me as I walk away from the city, into the forest that will lead back to our hideout. However, something happens before we're _truly_ out of the city. My stomach is full of corpses, but I've been in this form far too long. A deep aching is starting to set in the back of my skull.

My thoughts are becoming simple and dumb, like an animal. Another throb in my skull. I need to change back now, or else I'll lose myself to the beast. I groan and flop down on the ground, whimpering as my human form returns. The Khajiit whimpers, and I realize she finally considers me an ally because she likewise flops down. She returns to her human form, and I can't help being a little flattered. Werewolves that change together must consider one another a close pack member.

That means she considers me a friend. However, I quickly get back to normal and clean myself up a little, then start putting my armor on. The blood-soaked Khajiit is just lying on the ground, too stunned to move. I'm about to say something, then I hear the rumble of voices. I look up and see shadows walking around the corner. The citizens are coming, and I don't think it's for a friendly chat. Quickly, I pick the woman up and start running. We need to get out of here. Now.


	5. Consequences

My chest is tight and my lungs are burning by the time I reach our hideout, but I still haven't put the peach colored Khajiit down. She stirred in my arms a while ago, and even attempted to get down. However, she fell still the second I snarled at her. Now that we're in our safe haven I allow her to drop to the floor. The naked Khjiit grunts as she hits the ground, then springs up and gets into a fighting position. I roll my eyes and tell her, "Put down your fist, you'll only find a way to take your own eye out.". She instantly allows her hands to drop to her side, then starts looking around the place. Finally, she looks back to me and asks, "Where's my stuff?". I dig around in my bag and toss her the items she desires.

I stay silent as she puts her pathetic fur armor on, straps her hide shield to her arm, and hangs her iron sword on her side. But when she finally finishes I question, "Do you know what happened?". She looks down at the blood on her, then guesses, "I kill a deer?". I shake my head. "A bandit?". Another shake. She scoffs and goes, "What? I kill a kid?". I think of the Jarl's daughter and nod. Her green eyes go wide and she whispers, "No.". I can't see it through her peach pelt, but I know her face must have lost some of its color. I nod again and explain, "Jarl Balgruuf's daughter. You killed her and about half of the city.".

She keeps shaking her head and I try to back up and deliver the news in a little bit of a kinder way. "Your transformation was too hard on you, and Skjor and I didn't properly prepare.". She starts walking over to the side of the clearing and I follow her. "Once you were a werewolf you weren't in your right mind, and hunger overtook you. The guards of Whiterun tried to stop you. Considering you're still alive it's pretty clear how well they did their job.". The Khajiit has reached the edge of the wall. Without looking at me she turns around and presses her back against the stone, then begins to slide downwards. "You also attacked Falkreath, and managed to do damage there.".

"But for the moment let's focus on Whiterun. I'll save you the numbers, but you killed and injured enough people to get a hundred thousand gold bounty. However, the Jarl also put it on me. Just in case we weren't able to be captured alive.". She has her legs curled up to her, her head is buried in her knees, and her arms are wrapped around the back of her neck. "I was already planning on fleeing Whiterun Hold, and I couldn't leave you behind.". I motion to Bloated Man's Grotto. "I found this place and decided it was the perfect area to hide. When the situation and circumstances finally washed over me... I sort of... went a little crazy.". I take a moment to clear my throat.

"I transformed and went to Falkreath. You followed me. Together we made them face a fate similar to Whiterun's. We were trying to leave, and both of our transformations wore off.". She's rocking now, and I can tell she's having a breakdown. But I need to fill her in on what happened. "I don't think they saw either of our faces, but we should still be a little cautious with the transforming.". I fall silent, unsure of what to say next. A quiet sob from the woman. I quickly slide down beside her. "Come on. I'm sure it's not that bad.". She yanks her head up, her watery eyes daring me to keep going. I accept her challenge. "We'll find a way to make some money.".

Cautiously, I reach my hand out to touch her shoulder. She allows it. The woman has proven herself a brave warrior, but now I'm not sure what to do. I'm not a comforting person, I don't know how to handle emotions and feelings. I decide there's no time like the present and start attempting to make her feel better. "I'm... _sorry_ I didn't take you somewhere safe while you were transformed. I was just mad, and I needed something to eat. You're strong and ruthless in battle, and fought in the war. I just figured you wouldn't mind chomping on a few civilians who deserved it.". She buries her head back in her knees and whispers, "Nobody deserves to die.".

Damn. Am I even helping here? I have no idea, but I can't give up. "Come on. You weren't in your right mind._ I'm_ the one that should be blamed.". She remains quiet, but doesn't argue. "I promise you that we'll get the money to pay off your debt.". She barely moves her head, revealing a single green eye to me. "Promise?". I nod and tell her, "Promise.". She sniffles a little and raises her head, wiping her nose. The sun finally reaches into the grotto and strikes the Khajiit. Her gigantic tangerine mane is fluffed up against her peach colored fur, the long hairs of her thicker mane tangling with the shorter hairs that cover the rest of her thick body. The white splash around her mouth and nose are a light pink, the last remaining spots of her meal.

Her armor doesn't protect much, and I can make out spots of white on her stomach and the end part of her fluffy tail. Throughout the Khajiit's pelt are thin lines of vermilion color that break up the flow of the peach color. Blood is still on her front. Without thinking I pull a rag from my bag, spit on it, and reach over to her. The woman cringes and starts to scoot away, but I'm faster. All she can do is whine as I slowly clean her. Finally (after a few minutes of scrubbing) she's clean and my rag is bloody. I chuck the rag to the side and start taking care of my own needs.

I stand, walk over to the pond, and clean myself. Once I return to the woman I offer her my hand. She looks at it for a moment before asking, "What?". I shake my hand at her and tell her, "We need to go to Falkreath. We might have destroyed the town, so now we owe it to them to check on them. I'm not talking all out help, but at least make sure they're okay.". The woman wipes her face and nods, then puts her hand in mine and allows me to yank her up. As we walk I notice she's looking at the ground, slightly hunched, and shuffling her feet along. Damn, I need to make her feel better. What happened wasn't wrong in my opinion, but it clearly matters to her.

If we're going to be pack mates we don't need to think the same, we just need to be there for one another. She responded the best to my shoulder touch, so I decide to go with something else physical. I reach my arm out and wrap it around her shoulder, pulling her to me. The woman sniffles, but seems to move her feet with a little more assurance. Our walk to Falkreath is uneventful to say the least, but along the way the woman slowly gets better. By the time we reach the gates she's standing with her back straight and walking like a normal person. However, both of us instantly freeze once we're inside the city. We must have been _really_ out of it last night.

Chunks of buildings are missing, body parts line the streets, and blood is covering almost every surface. A few people are out and about, but their behavior is completely changed. They stick to the sides of buildings, look everywhere around them, and rush to the next 'safe' place. The only one out in the open is a guard with one arm. He's attempting to nail something to the side of a building, but his lack of both his arms is getting in the way. Huh, I don't remember taking a man's arm off. Must have been when the Khajiit first attacked. The woman in question is just standing there in my arm as she looks at everything she caused. She swallows and whispers, "I think I need a minute.".

Before I can stop her she stumbles out of the city, rushes out of sight, and I hear a loud gagging noise coming from her direction. Poor girl. She'll just need some time to get use to what she did. No use focusing on the past and all that stuff. But in the meantime I decide to go help the guard. That should balance out all the people I killed. Ha! Even I almost laughed at that one! When the man hears me approaching he flips around and waves some papers in front of him in 'defense'. Then, he sees I'm not a werewolf and calms down. "Whoa, easy there. I just want to help.". He nods and hands me the papers, then motions at the building.

I hold the pieces of paper up and as he hammers them in I ask, "So, what's going on here?". The man shudders. "Werewolf attack. One attacked two days ago, and two attacked last night.". He looks around him. "And, now we're all just waiting for the next one.". He shudders again and I expect the conversation to end, but it doesn't. "The Jarl's sent letters to every person who might be able to help. Mercenaries, fellow Jarls, bandits, Forsworns, and any guilds in Skyrim.". My chest tightens up and my heartbeat begins banging away, but I somehow manage to squeak, "Any responses?". He nods and seems almost proud as he answers. "Two. The Companions from Whiterun, and some mercenaries that call themselves 'The Silver Hands'.".

"The Jarl's called off the bounty for anyone else now, and he's letting The Companions have a go at it first. Guess he doesn't want everyone flooding to Falkreath and killing one another.". He laughs at his own joke, finishes nailing, pats me on the shoulder, and walks away. At least nobody knows we're the werewolves. We still have a chance. We'll just have to lay low for a while and not draw attention to ourselves. The Companions will probably suspect us, but we can always jump over to The Reach of Haafinger if we need to hide. I nod and realize I haven't looked at the paper I helped the man hammer up.

What I see causes all my muscles to tense, my breath to stop, and my heart to jerk. In the top left corner is a picture of the Khajiit in her werewolf form, the eyes giving her away. Below that picture is a Khajiit that looks just like my companion, only her fur is white, one of her ears ends in a shred, and she doesn't have her gigantic mane. On the top right corner is a picture of me in my werewolf form (I know myself well enough from the brief glimpses I've seen of myself), and below that is a picture of me.

Only my hair is black, my nose is far too long, and my warpaint is missing. Nobody will recognize us. Well, nobody from here will. But I know a group of people who'll see the picture of us and know exactly who we are. Without thinking I turn back to where the Khajiit is and beginning running. It's time to get the oblivion out of here.


	6. Wanted

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I stumble into a standing position and flick my head to get the vomit off of me. I'm a monster. Aela can say whatever she likes, but I know the truth. I ripped those people apart, ate them, and left their city in a ruin. What kind of hero does that? But maybe it doesn't have to be all bad. Maybe I could find a way to do something that'll balance everything out. Like fighting in the war or finally helping Jarl Balgruuf like he asked me to. Well, both of those things will have to wait until my debt is paid off. How I'm going to get the gold I don't know, but Aela promised me she'd help and that everything will be fine. That means it'll all be alright, right? Before I can continue struggling with my inner demons, Aela rams into me.

Without saying a word she grabs onto my arm, starts pulling me into the underbrush beside the road, and hisses, "We have a _big big big_ problem.". The woman is struggling to move me (I'm by far thicker than her) and I consider continuing to resist. But the big big big problem is worrying me, so I allow her to yank me into the bushes. Aela flops down on the ground and drags me with her, then yanks two pieces of paper out of her pocket. I'm about to ask what they are, but Aela shushes me and lays them out on the ground. The Companion begins frantically tapping at the paper, so I quickly examine it.

Two pictures of werewolves, and below those are two pictures of people. I'm about to ask her what's the big deal, then I realize who they are. I swallow a lump in my throat and attempt to reason with myself. "Nobody knows that we're the werewolves, right? We'll be fine. We just can't draw attention to ourselves.". I look to Aela. "Right?". She shakes her head and my heart begins to pick up the pace. "I'm afraid the Jarl is looking for help. He's sent out bounties to everyone possible, and two groups have already responded.". I feel my heart get ready to explode as I whisper, "Who?". Aela can't meet my eyes as she answers. "The Silver Hand and The Companions.".

"The Jarl's letting The Companions come down first. I'm not sure when they'll be there, but we need to be long gone before they reach us.". I slowly put my head to the ground as I whisper, "They know what we did.". Aela nods and agrees, "They probably know we were the ones behind the killings. That's why we need to get the oblivion out of here.". She starts looking around and tapping her hands. "Fast.". My head is still on the ground, but I manage a sort of shake my head and whisper, "We can't. We're murderers.". Aela sighs and starts, "Look- I'm not. Just. _Damn it_!". A deep sigh from the woman. "Okay, fine. Can we dumb this down a little bit and think about it?".

I lift my head up, look at her, and nod. "Okay. Do you want to live?". I look at the ground and mumble. Aela snarls, "Well?!". I sigh and give in. "I don't want to die, but those people didn't either!". Aela instantly steps in. "No no no no no! We aren't talking about those people! We're talking about YOU! Now, you don't want to die. Can you bring people back to life?". I shake my head. "Okay. You don't want to die, and the damage here is done. So, if we stay here we're useless, and then we're going to die. Now, are you following all of this?". I nod again and she tells me, "Good. Now, I know a way out. Would you like to hear it?". I meet her eyes and nod my head.

"Okay. We run to Haafingar.". I give her a pleading look and beg, "We can't do that! I don't want to be on the lamb for the rest of my life!". Aela sighs and explains further. "We won't be. We'll find a way to get the money, but it's not safe to stay here right now. _I'm_ going to Haafingar.". I look back at the ground and expect her to leave me or something. Instead, she whispers, "And I'd like you to come with me.". I look back at her. She's looking me dead in the eyes, and I can see the begging look on her face as she continues. "Please. If you stay here, then you'll die. It was stupid for us to get caught up in this, but now we're trapped and need to stick together.".

She adjust her position on the ground slightly so she can stick her hand out. "Please. Trust me.". I bite my lip and don't meet her eyes. Should I really go with her? I consider the pros and cons for a moment, then reach out and take her hand. Aela hops up and yanks me up after her. Once we're both standing she says, "Follow me.". She doesn't wait for a response as she goes pounding down the street, away from Falkreath. I sigh and begin jogging after her, but yell, "I hate running!". Her laughter is my only response, but she does slow down for me when I begin falling behind. Once we're side by side I manage to pant, "We're. Going. Back. Towards. _Oh gods_. Whiterun.".

Aela nods and mimics, "We're going to back to Whiterun. From there we'll go to Haafingar. They only danger will be if any guards manage to see us. And, neither of us are that stupid.". The forest around us is slowly turning back into the fields of Whiterun, but I'm too exhausted to continue. I pant, stumble over to the side, and stand with my hands on my knees. Aela notices my problem at once and rushes over. "Dam. You okay?". I manage to nod and she tells me, "Wait here, I'll be back.". Before I can respond she rushes away, and I flop to the ground to try to regain my breath. It takes a few minutes, but eventually I'm breathing normally.

I'm just beginning to wonder where Aela went when I hear the clopping of a horse approaching. I stick my head off the ground and see a black stallion charging at me, Aela snapping his reins. Once she's stopped beside me the woman says, "Come on, the guards are going to be looking for us.". I slowly stand and climb onto the beast. As we begin to ride I ask, "I thought we weren't suppose to draw attention to ourselves? You know, _not_ be seen by guards.". She goes 'pfft' and assures me, "Nobody saw. Besides, this is faster than walking.". I can't argue with her logic and I _really_ don't want to start running again, so I just allow it to happen. As our steed plows along I slowly wrap my arms around Aela's waist, the pounding road below getting than best of me.

Aela tenses for a few seconds, but doesn't tell me to knock it off. Eventually my neck starts to ache, and I slowly lean forward and rest my forehead against Aela's back. The Companion adjust her seating position a little bit, but once again doesn't argue with what I'm doing. As we ride along I decide to make conversation. "Aela.". A short pause, then, "Yes?". I consider my words before whispering, "Are we bad people?". She shrugs and I'm afraid that's all she's going to answer, then she begins speaking. "I don't really think people can be described as 'good' or 'bad.".

"I mean, does that make sense? Just because someone stole a chunk of bread or something doesn't make them bad. You could be the best person in the world and do something 'bad'. Tiber Septim himself could have done something 'bad' and nobody would remember him for that one act. People wouldn't _like_ that he did it, but they wouldn't start thinking of him as bad. On the opposite side someone terrible could do something good. A rapist, murderer, or thief could all do something good. Like help fix a house after a fire or give a coin to an orphan. They can do something good, but everyone would remember them as 'bad'. I'm not saying everything about the 'good' and 'bad' system is worthless.".

"A tyrannical king or queen could help one specific group of people, but if they're oppressing multiple other groups they shouldn't stay in power. I'm trying to say a single act doesn't make up an entire person's life. I'm _not_ saying we shouldn't judge people because of one act. An amazing person could kill, rape, or steal from someone. We should still punish them. Likewise, someone who's a terrible person could also end up helping society. We should still be wary of them, but at least _acknowledge_ they did something. You and I killed a bunch of people. We've also helped people. I think the whole 'good' and 'bad' thing is just so people higher up than us can label us for their convenience.".

"Does that make sense, or am I just rambling?". I nod against her back, still mulling over her words. After a few minutes of silent riding I tell her, "I think I feel a little better.". Aela nods and responds, "I was hoping you would.". More silence, and this time I'm likewise the one to break it. "Why didn't you leave me?". A shrug. "I don't really know. You're a strong warrior and a fine Companion. Besides, I couldn't just leave you there. You were innocent in the matter. Leaving you behind would be like leaving a kitten behind for dogs to eat all because the kitten accidentally fell down some stairs and broke her leg.". A small break that I take to ask, "Are we friends?".

Aela seems to slow the horse down a little as she takes a moment to think. "I guess so. We know each other well enough to go on a killing spree together.". I offer a small laugh at her joke. "I trust you. I trust you more than I trust Skjor, Kodlak, or a lot of the other Companions. You didn't abandon me when it served your purpose, and you're easy enough to get along with. Yeah. I think we're friends.". She chuckles a little and finishes, "We have to be. I wouldn't let just anyone put their arms around my waist and their face in my back.". I chuckle back a little, but now most of my energy is gone. I press my head against Aela, slowly becoming relaxed. I don't even notice I'm falling asleep.

* * *

**Ria POV:**

I idly hum as I wait at the table, my fellows all coming in. Kodlak called us for a meeting a few hours ago, and I was the first one to show up. However, it took everyone this long to finally gather. Oh well, I'm sure they didn't mean to keep me waiting. Athis plops down beside me and snarls, "Stop humming.". Njada sits down on my other side and answers Athis for me. "Fuck off, she can do what she wants.". The Dunmer looks about ready to explode, but Kodlak cuts everyone off. "Companions!". Everyone stops talking and looks at him. "Today the Jarl of Falkreath has pleaded with us to go down to the city as a group, and hunt down two dastardly werewolves who've nearly wiped out the town. I agreed, and we're going. Any questions?".

I raise my hand. I have a sinking feeling Aela or our newest member might be down in Falkreath (that's where we last saw them run). I don't think they would destroy a town, and someone might be framing them for it. Or (even worse) it could be two completely different werewolves that could harm my friends. All I want to do is voice my concerns, and ask if I can stay behind at Jorrvaskr. I don't think I could bring myself to fight Aela or the Khajit. "Good. No questions.". Oh. Well, okay then. Looks like I'm going to Falkreath.


	7. Nightmares

**Aela POV:**

A steady throbbing in my skull is beginning to form into a headache as I charge through the woods in my werewolf form. Where the actual fuck am I? The dark sentinel trees look down upon me, the tall grass beneath my paws is scraggly, and a thick mist seems to envelope the world. Obviously this can't be real. Can it? A 'caw' causes me to look up. A gigantic bird's shadow looms over me and slowly passes by. Definitely not real. Well, now that I know I'm dreaming I may as well have a little fun. I take a deep breath, checking the air for scents. Suspiciously there's only a single scent besides the forest, and the smell is leading me into the darker parts of the woods.

Oh well, it's not like I can die in a dream. As I begin running towards the scent I hear deep growls, yelping, and screaming. I pick up the pace and finally burst through the fog into the bare clearing. Every single one of my 'Companions' is there, and they're focused on one monster. The gigantic woman has completely black eyes, dark grayish-green Orc-like skin, and a wild mane of ebony hair. The monster is quite heavy-set, and has a mouthful of shattered fangs. She doesn't wear armor, but a thick silver toga is draped around her. The woman has a gigantic sparkling club in one hand, and a skinning knife in the other. However, at the moment she's using her feet to attack.

The monster lifts one giant leg, takes aim at Kodlak, and brings her foot down. My leader screams as he's flung deep into the mist, a _crack_ telling me he's been defeated. All of the others scatter, screaming in fear. The monster drops her skinning knife and lunges for some of my 'friends'. She successfully picks up Ria, Farkas, and Vilkas. They all scream as the giant pops them into her mouth, happily chewing on them as blood runs from the corners of her mouth. I'm about to flee when a deep growl catches my attention. I look to my right and see a shambling figure walk from the mist. The Khajiit is in her werewolf form, looks like absolute shit, and it's clear she wouldn't be alive in the real world.

Her right eye is busted, her left arm is shattered, her right leg stops at the knee, her ears are shreds, her tail is missing, and an ax is embedded in her back. But that's not the worst part. Her innards are spilling out of her and gushing blood. My friend opens her mouth, maggots pouring out as she roars. Finally, she falls onto all fours and begins hobbling over to the giant. Without thinking I charge, my teeth bared. The giant laughs and goes to kick my friend back into the mist, but I act before she can. I leap onto the monster's leg and bite down (but my teeth can't even break the skin), refusing to let go. It gets the desired effect. The giant screams and begins flailing.

My friend finally reaches the giant. She flops down on the monster's foot and bites down, contributing to the fight. The giant woman screams and leaps back a little. That's all I need. She's slightly put off balance and I take the chance to knock her down. I keep biting her leg, but wait until I feel my feet touch the ground. Then, I push up as hard as I can. It works and the beast goes down. I feel a bit triumphant at my victory, and my crippled friend manages to limp over to me. I cringe as she rubs her busted face against my shoulder, but I allow it. I'm about to howl when I hear more movement. I look up and see all of the living Companions returning.

For a moment I think they're going to revel with me in victory. That's when one of them tosses a rope at me. I roar as the trap tightens around my neck, forcing me to the ground. Before I can stop them, The Companions charge at my wounded friend. She doesn't stand a chance. They pin her down, a few of them grab her revealed organs, and start running. The Khajiit howls and I howl with her, attempting to free myself of the rope. For some reason my claws just slide against the material, never getting a firm hold. Finally, the Khajiit lets out a single whimper and goes still. The Companions leave her and turn to me, their weapons still drawn. That's when the mist and world suddenly vanishes.

* * *

I'm awoken to the screams and cheers of men and women, plus the sound of a horse screaming. I shoot up and draw my weapon, trying to find out what's going on. That's when I finally realize what's unraveling. Five to seven bandits on horses are charging around the stuck carriage. Our driver is dead, his horse is heavily wounded, and the Khajiit is just as awake as I am. One of the bandits draws a bow and pulls it back, taking aim at us. Without thinking I lash out, grab the Khajiit, and force her down. Then, I block the arrow with my shield and draw my own bow. I fire it wildly into the circle, and one rider falls off his horse. By now the bandits know what's going on, and all their energy is focused on me.

Soon I enter a pattern. Fire, duck down, get up, fire. It's a simple pattern, but I'm fast enough the bandits never get the chance to hit me. Finally, only two remain. I smile and reach for another arrow, but this time I find my quiver empty. Damn. I pull my dagger from my boot and leap over the side of the carriage, grabbing onto one of the horses. The bandit and her steed both scream, wildly breaking out of the 'circle' and charging down the road. My knife to the bitch's back quickly fixes that. I kick her dead body out of the saddle, calm the horse down, and begin riding back. Well, at least we have some transportation.

I trot back to the carriage and announce, "Guess what-". That's when I'm finally close enough to see the sight before me. The last bandit is dragging the Khajiit out of the carriage. My friend is screaming and digging her claws into the wood, but the bandit refuses to let go of the woman's feet as she tugs. I snap my horse's reins and attempt to help. My steed runs there, but suddenly spooks and begins to rear. "DAMN IT!". The horse takes no heed and I'm forced to watch the scene play out. "AELA!". Oh fuck. "AELA, PLEASE!". The bandit roars and puts all her strength into tugging on my friend. It works and the Khajiit's claws _rip_ out of the wood.

An almost crying like, "AELA!". The bandit laughs and reaches down, picking the woman up by the scruff of her neck like a cat. The Companion pulls out her sword and begins swinging. My horse is calming down a little, but I still can't manage to get to the Khajiit. Jumping off the beast would be suicide, so that's out of the option. "AELA!". The bandit grabs the woman's sword and tosses it to the side. "HELP!". The bandit reaches back her fist, solidly punching my friend in the face. "GA!". Blood begins pouring from the woman's face, but the bandit doesn't stop. "AH!". A laugh from the bandit. "Scream all you want! Nobody will hear!". The Khajiit goes still (clearly dead as a rock), but her screaming doesn't stop. Wait, why doesn't it stop?

* * *

"AELA! DAMN IT, WAKE UP!". On instinct my fist comes out, and I feel the Khajiit's forehead connect with my knuckles. My eyes snap open in time to see the woman stumble backwards and land on the seat opposite me. She blinks and her eyes roll around a small amount, then she regains her senses and snaps, "The fuck was that for?". I begin panting and look around. Was that last part a dream? I look over at the pissed off Khajiit. That's a stupid question, and it's one I'm thankful I didn't ask out loud. Wait, could _this_ be a dream? I twist my own hand and feel the sharp stab of pain. Nope. Not a dream. Thank the gods for _that_ I suppose. I shake my hand and look at the Khajiit, who's now sitting quietly across from me.

She sees me looking and motions to our right as she says, "Solitude.". I look over and see the magnificent city rising up above us. Then, I look back at the woman. She offers me a small, sad smile and finally questions, "So, why were you flailing about so much in your sleep?". I consider what I've just seen. The Khajiit seems like a good friend. And she's going to die. Because of me. Does she really deserve to have to keep spending time around me? I'm just going to bring her more trouble. It's my fault she's in this mess in the first place, she doesn't deserve any more hurt. I make a choice. I stomp my foot, stand up, and scream, "I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN!".

* * *

**Ria POV:**

I stoke my white mare's mane as we ride down the path to Falkreath. The meadows around us are rather uninteresting, so I spend a majority of the time humming and petting my horse. Vilkas, Farkas, Athis, and Njada are accompanying me to the city. Vilkas and Farkas are riding far in front of me, Athis is lagging behind, and Njada is riding right beside me. Athis suddenly snaps his horse's reins and gets ride beside me. "STOP HUMMING!". I keep going, waiting for Njada to stick up for me like she usually does. My patience works out and Njada yanks her horse back, rides around me, and gets between me and Athis. The Dunmer screams and rides away, hiding his horse behind Farkas and Vilkas.

Njada roars after him, "SHE CAN DO WHATEVER THE FUCK SHE WANTS!". I smile and keep petting my horse as I hum. However, after a few minutes the humming loses its attraction and I talk to Njada. "Do you think the werewolves in Falkreath are Aela and the newest member?". Njada nods and seems conflicted as she tells me, "Most likely. Or at least the newest member. Killing doesn't seem like Aela, or the Khajiit for that matter. But I guess you never really know a person until you push them to the edge. And, it looks like the edge was too much for them. They broke, and left monsters in their place.".

I fall silent for a moment, then keep talking. "You think we'll be able to help them, if it does end up being them? Like catch them and let them calm down?". Njada offers me a smile I can tell is mostly pity. "Maybe. The Jarl seems pretty set on killing them, but maybe we _could_ catch them and talk to them. It'd be nice I suppose. All be back together and whatnot.". Athis screams back, "No we can't! We're going to kill them and put their pelts on our walls as trophies! There's no way in oblivion they'll survive past the week!". Njada smiles at me and whispers, "Excuse me.". She snaps her horses reins and begins flying towards Athis. "AHH!". The man rushes off, Njada pounding right after him. "COME BACK HERE AND TAKE YOUR BEATING LIKE THE BITCH YOU ARE!". I go back to humming.


	8. The Skinner

**Krev the Skinner POV:**

I slowly open my eyes, a steady pounding in the back of my head. How long have I been out of it? As I sit up on my busted up cot a beer bottle clatters to the floor. I flip around so my feet are on the floor, then rest my elbows on my knees and my face on my hands. A sour taste fills my mouth and sweat covers my naked body. I slowly rub my eyes and take a moment to look around my room, checking for anything that's missing. My chest is shoved in one corner, my mirror is hanging above my washing basin, and I'm currently sitting on my cot. Beer bottles litter the floor, and even more are shoved in my bed. For the hundredth time I feel a deep longing in my heart.

Is this all there is to life? Sitting around in my pathetic room and waiting to die? I shake off my feelings and make my way over to my basin. I splash water over my dark hair, then flip up and check my appearance in the mirror. My mud colored eyes are bloodshot, my long hazel hair is a ratted mess, and my usually dark skin is extremely pale. Just common symptoms of being too drunk. I search for my dagger and find it in my chest. Then, I return to the mirror. For a moment I think about cutting all my hair off, but ultimately decide against it. I just take off the parts that need removal. Eventually my hair is under control, and my eyes have calmed down a little.

There. Now I look presentable. I place the dagger on the lip of the washing basin, then go back to examining myself. If only I could do something about the wrinkles around my eyes. A sigh passes my lips and echoes across the empty room. I'm too old for this. Far too old. I should have gotten out of the werewolf hunting game years ago, but now it's too late. It's no longer a matter of 'if' a werewolf kills me, but rather a matter of 'how' and 'when'. A knock on my door. "Krev. Are you coming? A letter's come from the Jarl.". I take a deep breath and call back, "I'll be out in a minute. Just let me get dressed.". I hear my lackey walk away. I walk over to my chest, flip it open, and start dressing.

Underpants, breast bindings, and a full set of steel armor. My metal hide is dented in places and has a few patches of rust here and there, but it's served me well over the years. I wouldn't trade it for anything. Well, that's not true. I'd trade it for a lot of things. Mostly whores and drinks. Once I'm dressed I grab my dagger from the basin and my sword from beneath my bed. I put the smaller blade in my boot and proudly hang my sword from my waist. They're both rusted and slightly dented, but I'm proud nonetheless. Finally, I step outside into my group's hiding place. The small cramped corridor leads me to The Silver Hand's main meeting area.

The large circular room is raised up the father back you go, there are pillars scattered around the room, and a stone seat is at the very rear. My fellows are all gathered around the seat. Waiting for me as usual. I push my way past the men and women, then sit down in my seat. I clear my throat until my second in command comes up. He's a young Altmer who's barely sixteen, and goes by the name of Bartholomew. As I look at his fresh face I'm once again reminded I'm forty-eight years his senior. Sixty-four year old women should be able to sit back and enjoy life, not out hunting monsters. Yet here I am. Bartholomew clears his throat and I snarl, "What?".

He shies away from me a little and explains, "We've received word from the Jarl of Falkreath about hunting down the werewolves.". I nod and flick my hand to tell him to go on with it. By now he knows what my flicking means and continues. "He's given us the job, but there's a catch.". I flick my hand for a second time. "The Companions have also applied for the job, and he's given it to them first. We can only go to Falkreath if The Companions fail to capture or kill the werewolves within a week's time.". In an instant everyone is screaming curses and roaring their outrage. I know why. The Companions themselves are werewolves. They wouldn't _really_ hunt down one of their own kind.

They'll probably actually let the beast escape. And, my fellows all know that. That's why the bickering starts to get louder, and someone pushes someone else. I sigh and scream, "ENOUGH!". Everyone shuts up and looks at me. Even Bartholomew seems cowed by my shout. I stand up, using my somewhat taller height (the only member taller than me is Bartholomew) to my advantage. "Enough. While we stand here bickering and arguing among ourselves, The Companions are working together!". I look around the room, meeting the eyes of every single one of my followers. "Even as we speak they could be letting their fellow werewolves get away with murder."

"The only choice we have is to ignore the Jarl's order and go down there ourselves.". A few people are nodding. "It's not going to be easy. Our intentions are seen as evil by those who are unaware of the threat werewolves present to our way of life.". Obviously, or else we wouldn't be living in a bandit's camp. "But we have to save them. What we do is no different than what The Dawngaurd do. Only they're revered while we're hated. Now, here's what we're going to do. We're going to sneak down to Falkreath, find the murderers, avoid The Companions, and kill any transformed werewolves. If we slay The Companions everyone will turn against us, so we'll need to try to avoid that.".

Everyone is silently agreeing with me in some way. "Now, it's not going to be easy. The Jarl stated we could _only_ hunt them in his Hold, and the other Jarls haven't consented to let us continue our search into their realms. Obviously the werewolves will attempt to run away into a different area of Skyrim. It's only logical. We can't let them do that. These beast are worse than any others we've faced. Most werewolves eat a few idiotic travelers. These damned beast went into a city _two nights_ in a row, ate over three fourths of its population, and destroyed some of their ancient buildings. They _need_ to die to secure the safety of all of Skyrim. We'll have to hunt them down no matter _where_ they are.".

"If they go to The Rift, then we go to The Rift. If they go to The Reach, then we go to The Reach. If they go to Cyrodill, then we go to Cyrodill. If they go to Morrowind, then we go to Morrowind. If they- well, you get the idea. We're going to hunt these monsters down and bring them to justice.". My voice barely rises or falls during the entire speech, but everyone's still hyped and excited. Just one of the advantages of leading for so long. You no longer have to convince people to follow you. When everyone's calmed down a little I finish the speech. "Get your gear ready. We leave tonight, and we won't stop until we reach Falkreath.".

Everyone nods and breaks up, but as I head to my room Bartholomew catches up to me. "Hey, can I have a word?". When we're right outside my door I shake my head at the young man and beg, "Bartholomew. Please. Don't put yourself through this again. It's 'no'. The answer has always been 'no' and it will always be 'no'. Just go. Don't make yourself suffer any more than you have to.". I see his face fall and he whimpers, "Please.". I shake my head and tell him, "Go get your gear ready.". He can't meet my eyes as he nods and slinks away. If he had a tail I'm certain it'd be between his legs. For a moment I feel pity for him, then get over it.

If his ego is so big that he can't get over the fact I don't yearn for him, then it's his fault. Not mine. I slide into my room and close my door. As I turn around I see all of my belongings, and a heaviness settles over my stomach and chest. I'm alone. I've waited sixty-four years to meet someone I could talk to. Someone I could be friends with, and share all of my secrets and concerns. Someone I could love. But the only person who wants me is a sixteen-year old boy who can't even count to three. I mentally slap myself. I have more important things to do than mentally bitch about how alone and dead inside I am. I have two werewolves to skin, and there's no telling what they could do in the meantime.

I gather my clothes, armor, and one final weapon. Underneath my bed and pushed against the back wall is a long, short trunk with five master locks. I yank it out and pull a key from the very bottom of my normal chest. After unlocking the chest I happily flip the trunk open. Inside is my most prized possession, one I've carried around since I was Bartholomew's age. The gigantic arrow can be used as a spear and javelin, and its sheer size makes it terrifying (it's the length and width of my arm). The black wooden shaft is wrapped tightly in elm's bark, the stone arrow has four curved points like a harpoon, and the point is sharp enough to pierce even the toughest of armor.

I once had a bow that was a foot taller than me, and it was the only bow capable of firing my arrow. But it took too long to aim, and it was far too hard to fire. Eventually it broke and I never got around to repairing it. A part of me kind of wishes I had. The idea of a werewolf being impaled on my arrow from a hundred feet away is appealing, but I suppose spearing them will have to do. I gently strap the weapon to my back and stand up, finally ready to go. I find everyone waiting outside for me. A few of the higher ups are mounted (including Bartholomew), but a large majority of my men have to walk. Oh well. I mount my horse, point him towards Falkreath, and begin riding. Time to kill some werewolves.

* * *

**Ria POV:**

I slowly crouch down in the underbrush, following the deep gouges in the earth. Njada is practically on top of me. She's likewise crouched down, and I can feel her heavy breathing on the back of my neck. "Njada. It would be easier to work if someone wasn't right on top of me.". The Nord moves back a little and mumbles an apology. I nod in acceptance and keep following the tracks. Now that Njada isn't rubbing against me I don't feel uncomfortable and terrified, so it's easier to work. However, within a few minutes she's back on top of me. Her breast digging in to my back and her breathing on my neck. I sigh and keep working. It's doing to be a long day.


	9. The Pounding Drum

**Fair warning: Quite a few POV changes in this chapter. Don't worry, just sitting things up to fall down.**

* * *

**Aela POV:**

"Aela.". I ignore the Khajiit and keep stomping up to Solitude. "Aela, come on. This isn't going to fix anything.". I continue ignoring her. "Fine. I'll leave.". Finally. "I'll just go into the dark woods over there.". I stop my walking, but still refuse to turn around to see her. "Alone. Without a brave warrior woman to protect me. Defenseless. Just a sitting duck for some hunter to come along and claim my head. Unable to do anything to stop them. Poor me, alone in the cold, dark world where-". I sigh and turn around. The Khajiit offers me a smug grin and dares to ask, "Why are you trying to leave me?". I meet her eyes as I explain the situation to her.

"I'm just trouble for you. You've only been hurt because of me. You're better off on your own. Please, just leave.". The woman's ears flip back and her eyes widen, the hurt expression crossing her entire face. "Aela.". I shake my head. "Please. We aren't even friends.". The skin around her eyes scrunches together and she whispers, "We're not?". The look on her face causes my resolve to absolutely crumble. "No!". I reach out, but allow my hand to drop after a second. "No. I mean. We are.". She looks a little less hurt, but only slightly. "If we're friends, then why do you want me to go away? I thought friends were suppose to stick together in tough situations, not abandon one another.".

I throw my head back, close my eyes, and let out a small groan. When I finally look back at her I desperately say, "I'm just trouble. If you stick with me, then your head will end up of Krev's wall. You can take care of yourself. You don't need me. It would be better if you just left.". The woman takes a step closer to me. "But we're friends, and you promised me you'd help me pay off my bounty in Whiterun. You can't do that if we're apart. Besides, what if our heads _don't_ end up of Krev's wall? What if we manage to get away with it? Wouldn't you want to be together when that happens?". The poor fool. She's still clinging to the hope of getting her bounty in Whiterun paid off.

She doesn't understand the seriousness of what we did. Well, she understands the moral seriousness, but not how important the reality of it all is. We're never going to be able to return to Whiterun. I know that, but I don't tell her that. I'll let her cling to her false dreams and wishes. It's going to be all she has soon. However, she does raise a good point. What if we _do_ get away with this? I shake the thought from my head. "If we get away with it, then we're going to end up hiding for the rest of our lives. Is that what you want? Jumping from city to city, never able to settle down? Always worrying about the fact we could be arrested for murder?".

She kicks the ground slightly and looks away as she explains, "I don't think that would be so bad.". She meets my eyes. "As long as I have you by my side.". I feel a lump begin to form in my throat, but I swallow it and ask her, "Do you really mean that?". She nods her head and I take a moment to think. Do I really want her with me? She's a strong warrior, but can I put up with her on a personal level? I've only talked to her a little, but looking back I can already tell that we'll get along fine. I could spend a few afternoons talking with her, no problem. So, I give in and tell her, "Okay. We'll stick together.". She smiles and walks up to me, twining her arm in mine.

As we resume walking up to Solitude she tells me, "Just think about it. Two untied women roaming the roads of Skyrim. No children, no commitment, and no clans to worry about. Just you, me, our swords, and the presence of death constantly looming over us. Men and mer will cower before us, beasts won't stand a chance, and monsters shall fall to our mighty blades! Not a soul alive will be able to stop our adventure, and we'll answer to no queen or king. We'll be as honorable as knights, but have the freedom of mercenaries! I bet the bards would love to sing our song!". I chuckle as we enter the city. Maybe sticking around wasn't such a bad idea after all.

* * *

**Ria POV:**

I curse as the tracks go into the stream. I slowly stand up, cracking my back. I look at the opposite bank and curse for a second time. Even from here I can see the dirt is kicked and chopped up by deer prints. A herd must have moved past here recently. Any chance of finding the werewolves' tracks has significantly gone down. Oh well, I can start up again tomorrow. It's not like a storm or anything is going to blow in and wash the tracks away. I stretch my arms over my head as I tell Njada (who's situation behind me), "It doesn't look like we'll be able to catch up with them today. We should go back to the inn and conserve our strength. You know, for the 'hunt' and whatnot.".

I suddenly feel two hands come to rest on my hips. I nearly scream and flip around in a rage, but then a chin comes to rest on my shoulder. Njada's familiar panting breath clogs my ears. "Hey.". I keep tensing up, but slowly bring my hands down to their normal position. It doesn't deter Njada, and I have to hold my arms out slightly not to crush her hands. "What are you doing?". I gentle kiss to my neck. "Nothing.". I don't let my guard down. "That doesn't feel like nothing.". Njada sighs and releases my hips. I take the chance to turn around to her. The woman's shamefully looking at the ground. "Njada. I think we need to talk.".

* * *

**Krev POV:**

My horde slowly moves through the woods, careful not to snap a branch or move a rock. We can't be seen. We're hot on the trail of two Companions. It was a miracle we found them, but now we need to be quiet while we chase them. We aren't going to bring them down or attack them, but we need to find the werewolves. My logic is that if we follow The Companions, then we'll find the werewolves. However, what we find is less than pleasing. The two Companions are sitting on a large stone by the edge of the river. One's a Nord wearing a hide helm, and the other is an Imperial with dark skin. Both are women. The one wearing the helm suddenly lunges forward, capturing the Imperial in a kiss.

The Imperial sits there in confusion for a few seconds, then wraps her arms around the Nord. A general grumble goes out from my group. I can't blame them. If these two start fucking, then we'll have to wait an hour or two until they start following the tracks again. I see some tracks across the river and come up with a plan. I lean over and tap Bartholomew. He leans in and I whisper, "I'm going to follow the tracks over there. Can you handle these guys and keep searching the woods?". When he nods at me I turn my horse so I can sneak past the two lovers, then get to it. Werewolf skins wait for no woman.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

The dimply lit inn reeks of grease and sex, but the Khajiit and I ignore the smell. We both down our sixth glass of black ale, the candle in between us doing a sick dance. We talked for a short while, but now we're quiet. In fact, the entire inn is. That is, until the bard picks up a tune. The Khajiit flicks her ear and seems to recognize the melody. She gives me a dopey smile and bobs her head a little, and I see her tail flicking behind her. She smiles at me and quietly sings to me.

"_Come to me here from Whiterun,_

_ To this holy temple, where _

_Your lovely apple grove stands, _

_And your altars that flicker _

_With incense._"

I suddenly realize the tune as a poem/song by Assiniboine. A poem famous for her woman seducing ways. It's said she only needed a single verse to steal the heart of whoever she pleased. I remember the song, and could probably sing it. When the Khajiit opens her mouth to continue I cut her off.

"_And below the apple branches, cold _

_Clear water sounds, everything shadowed _

_By roses, and sleep that falls from _

_Bright shaking leaves._".

The woman looks absolutely shocked and takes the brief musical bit to whisper, "You know the song?". When I nod she gives me a gigantic grin, showing off all of her teeth. "I never took you for an artisan.". I smile and lean forward a little, resting my chin on my hands. Our noses are almost brushing above the candle as I whisper, "Not an artisan, just an appreciator of beauty.". It's painfully clear the drink is turning my stomach, but the Khajiit is equally drunk and sees my words as charming. The song keeps going and she takes over.

"_And a pasture for horses blossoms _

_With the flowers of spring, and breezes _

_Are flowing here like honey: _

_**Come to me here**,_"

I lean in a little more, cocking my head. Our lips are almost brushing and our eyes are locked as I finish the song.

"_Here, Cyprian, delicately taking _

_Nectar in golden cups _

_Mixed with a festive joy, _

_And pour._"

I can't contain myself any longer. I lean forward, capturing her lips in mine. My mind tells me to stop acting like a fool, but the tongue suddenly in my mouth urges me otherwise. I smile into the kiss. I can only hope I don't regret it. That's when the Khajiit pulls back and whispers, "Bedroom.".

I nod and hastily stand, fumbling for the key in my pocket. The Khajiit stumbles up and I grab her hand, tugging her after me. It takes me a few moments to get the key in the lock, but eventually it swings open. The Khajiit's hand never leaves mine. Once we're in the room the woman rushes over to the bed, and I take a moment to turn around and lock the door. When I turn back around the woman is naked, the dim candlelight around the room shining off her orange and gold fur. The woman's fur protects her cunt from my sigh, but I get a generous view of her tits. And of the woman's hand gently squeezing and fiddling with them.

My companion sees me looking and ask, "You just going to stand there all night, or am I going to get fucked?". That's all the encouragement I need. I begin ripping off my armor and practically charge over to the bed. My foot slips at the last second and I go tumbling down on her. The woman chuckles and I flip us over. Now the naked Khajiit's cunt is resting on the lowest part of my stomach. The woman laughs, but her laugh turns into a gasp when I lean forward and take her left nipple in my mouth. Definitely not regretting this.

* * *

**Final note: The song (mildly messed with) is a poem from Sappho of Lesbos. 'Come to me here from Crete'.**


	10. An Arrangement

I allow the Khajiit to lie atop me for a few more moments, but eventually my lust gets the better of me. I sit up and slide the woman down onto my lap. She doesn't complain in the slightest. My mildly impaired mind slows me down a little in my attempt at seducing her. Eventually I figure it out and grab the back of her head, then pull her towards me. Kissing her is a rather _unique_ experience. The long fur around her mouth tickles my face, and one of her fangs nicks my lip. But I've had worse, and once I start dominating the kiss it gets even better. I gently rub my thumbs down her face, my fingers parting her silky fur. Once I reach her jaw I apply pressure and pop her mouth open.

She doesn't fight or complain about me taking the lead. I slowly allow my tongue to run along the length of her lips; but as my confidence grows, so does a familiar burning in my loins. My gentle explorations turn into an invasion. My tongue roughly enters her mouth, the familiar taste of beer and wine greeting me. Her fangs threaten to rip my flesh to shreds, but I offer no heed as I dominate her and continue taking over her mouth. I jam my tongue a _little_ too far back and the woman bites down. I hiss as blood fills her mouth. For a moment the Khajiit begins to yank back, but my strong hands keep her in place.

A primal growl resonates from the deepest part of my throat. The Khajiit doesn't try to pull back again. I finally feel free to move my hands away from her skull. My fingertips run through the thick pelt covering her back. I stop once I reach her ass. The woman gasps as I begin squeezing and scratching her flesh, and I take her briefly opened mouth as an invitation to ravish her even more. The Khajiit's hands come to rest on my back, her claws digging into my flesh as I start leaning backwards. I never break apart from the woman as I return to my position on my back. When I finally release her from the kiss we both pull away from it panting, but I'm the one that gets my breath back first.

"Up.". She doesn't need any more coaxing or instructions. I release her ass and allow her to move. The woman raises herself up slightly and scoots forward, only stopping when her moist cunt is dangling above my face. I roughly grab her hips and pull her down, the woman's hot flesh brushing against my flesh. The next part is blurred because of my drunken mind, but I do remember a few things. The feel of my teeth sinking into her flesh, a small amount of blood filling my mouth, a few gasps and moans from the Khajiit, and the wetness of her burning cunt against my lips and tongue.

Eventually I find the small nub of flesh _right_ above her entrance. With a smirk I take it between my lips, biting down. A sharp '_ah_' from the woman. Her hands come down and latch onto my head, her claws digging into my hair and threatening to prick my scalp. I smirk and release her, but don't give her a moment of pause. She whimpers as I lovingly take her flesh between my lips. A deep moan echoes around the room as I start to suck. Damn, she's loud. She's lucky I like hearing her noises, or else I'd be telling her to shut up right about now. I allow the woman to enjoy my ministrations for a few moments, then once again bite down. But this time I do something different.

I blow air out through my mouth, the vibrations causing my lips to beat against her flesh. "_AH_!". I take a moment to pull back and _shush_ her. She doesn't move her hands or anything, but her moans and groans quiet down a little. Once she's quiet I go back to fucking her. Her cunt isn't particularly _nice_ tasting, but it's not revolting like I'd expected. Fucking her doesn't take much thought, and the results are pleasant. The Khajiit eventually takes her claws out of my hair to play with her own tits, throws her head back so she's looking at the ceiling, and starts moving her hips against my face. I wait until she's almost at the brink.

That's when I pull back. A confused noise leaves the woman's lips, but I ignore her. I use my superior strength to heave her off of me, then sit up. The Khajiit's drunken eyes are looking a few inches above my face as she begs, "Please!". I chuckle and move us around. Our final position is where I'm sitting at the foot of the bed, and my companion is seated on my thigh. All she can do is pant and watch me as I allow a strand of spit to leave my mouth and land on my thigh. Not exactly the sexiest sight in the world, but it gets the Khajiit worked up. Her breathing is heavy, her ears are flattened against her skull, her tail is twitching, and her pupils are gigantic.

I chuckle for a second time and grab her hips, forcing her to run along the length of my spit covered thigh. The woman gasps and her arms lunge for me. I groan as her claws pierce my flesh, but use the pain to drive myself to pleasure her further. The woman groans as I pick up the pace and start whispering slurs in her ear. It doesn't take her long before she throws her head and lets out a deep groan that tells me she's reached her crescendo of pleasure. Perfect. As the woman catches her breath I move us up further on to the bed and lie us both down. Now she's lying by my side, breathless and wrapped in my arms. That's when I smirk, lean in, and whisper, "My turn.".

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I wake up with a steady pounding in my head, a throbbing coming from my cunt, and a sore neck. I yawn and gag as my dry throat is exposed to the air. Somehow I manage to sit up in bed. I take a moment to cast a healing spell. That takes care of the throb and pounding, but the sore neck persist. Damn. I look around the room. A typical inn room. Bed, dresser, chest, window. All that and more. The spot beside me is messy and looks used. It's even warm when I run my fingers over it. Who the oblivion- I stop as I remember last night. Oh fuck. Oh dear fucking gods. What have I done?! I might have just destroyed any chance of friendship I had with Aela!

I leap out of bed, fall to my knees, and curse. Once I'm standing I find my fur armor and put it on, but leave my shield and sword behind. We aren't going to get into a fight. Hopefully. The dim and dank inn is still the same as I remember it. I go over to the bar and order a mug of ale. The server takes my money and passes me a glass. I'm about to take a sip when a quiet voice mumbles, "You should drink water. Ale won't chase away the headache.". I look to my left and see Aela leaning against the wall, her face pressed against the stone as she does her hardest not to look at me. I have no idea what to say, so it's a good thing that she apparently does.

"Can we talk?". She quickly adds, "In private?". I nod and she takes my hand, leading me to the small table shoved in the corner. My ale somehow gets left behind. Once we're seated I realize this is the same table where we kissed at last night. I'm about to ask why we didn't go back to the room, but that thought answers for itself. She doesn't want to go to the place where we fucked. I understand. For a moment both of us are silent, then she starts. "We need to talk about what happened.". I nod and she looks at the table. I see her begin scratching it with one of her nails as she sheepishly admits. "I liked it. Nobody ever. Well. Nobody was ever that fun. Well, submissive. To be exact.".

I can't even look at her as I feel my face heating up. "Yeah. I'd be surprised if you found someone who's a bigger pushover than me.". Aela offers an extremely weak chuckle and tells me, "Yeah. It was fun. And, I'm terrified I enjoyed it enough to do it again.". I manage to look at her and instantly regret it. She's looking me dead in the eyes as she continues. "I'm not going to lie to you. After all the shit you and I have been through; after all the goddamn torture we've had to endure, I liked doing that to you. I liked taking control and dominating you. Fuck, I'm just going to say it. I _need_ to do that to you. Maybe not tonight and maybe not tomorrow, but I'll eventually _need_ to do that to you again.".

She looks away. "I know that sounds creepy and threatening, but that's the only way to express it. I've had all this energy and fear piling up, and you showed me a way to release it without killing someone. If you stay, then I know I won't be able to hold myself back. I won't force myself upon you, but I'll sure as oblivion try almost anything to get into your pants again. I can... _understand_ if you want to leave. I have an unhealthy need for you now, and it's creepy.". For a moment I let her words hang there, then I give her my response. I reach out and take her hands as I whisper, "I can meet that need.". Aela looks up at me and I see her eyes sparkle.

She looks hopeful, but returns to her somber manner as she says, "Okay, then we need to get some stuff out of the way. I need you to know what I'm not willing to compromise on in this _arrangement_.". I nod and she starts. "I'll never hurt you unless you want me to. If something starts to hurt you, then let me know. Even if you want it, I still need to know. If I ever become too rough or the sex too painful, then just say 'red' and I'll stop in an instant. No questions asked, but I'd appreciate being told what I did wrong. Now, what I expect for you.". Oh fuck, here we go. "I don't want you to change. No trying to be kinder or bending your morals to meet mine.".

Well, that was rather. Unexpected. "I just want you to stay the same, and I'll try my best to act normal. Whatever we do to one another in the privacy of our room shouldn't mess with how we act in our domestic life. I fucked you because you were you, not because you were a carbon copy of me. And, if this doesn't work out, then I'd like use to remain friends. The gods only know we have such little opportunities to meet other people. Speaking of other people, one last thing. If you find anyone you desire more than me, then the arrangement will stop when you say the word.". When it's clear she's done speaking I whisper, "You talk like last night was rough.".

She smiles and leans in a little closer. "It wasn't near rough, I'm just warning you for the future.". I feel my face becoming hot again as I argue, "I can handle rough.". Aela's eyes are sparkling as she scoffs. "Really?". I nod and insist, "Really.". Our noses are touching one another, and I'm reminded of last night. However, this time I decide to be the initiator. Just this once. I swallow and whisper, "Take me.". Aela looks absolutely thrilled as she whispers back, "Already planning on it.".


	11. The Closing Hunter

**Ria POV:**

I slowly awaken, my mind still dull and dim. The first thing I'm aware of is rain pattering my face, then the mud sliding across my back. Finally, the warm body next to me is brought to my attention. I hesitantly open my right eye and am greeted by a tit. I try to sit up, but a warm arm around my shoulder prevents me. I let out a little mumble of discontent. The rain suddenly comes down harder and I groan louder. This time the body beside me groans back. "Good morning.". I crane my neck back slightly and see a smirk spreading across Njada's face. The woman's grey hair is smashed and messed up, a reminder of what I did to her. I'm about to say something when a _crack_ of thunder gets my attention.

Oh fuck. Fuck FUCK **FUCK**! I rip myself out of Njada's arms and stand up, then look across the bank of the river. The prints are gone. I rush over to my mass of clothes and find my sword. Njada is standing up when she sees me grab my weapon. The older woman raises her hands and starts, "Hey there, let's not-". She screams as I charge her, but it's not her I'm aiming for. I slash the tree behind her and begin to scream. "GODS FUCKING DAMN IT!". As I begin hacking away at the tree I feel a gentle hand come to rest on my naked shoulder, but I ignore Njada. We've lost the tracks and the werewolves have probably left the hold.

Finally, my stamina runs out and I drop my sword as I fall to my knees. I'm panting as Njada kneels down beside me and begins rubbing my shoulder. For a moment it feels nice and I fool myself into letting it happen, then I remember what happened the last time I let Njada woo me. I stumble to my feet and flip around, resting my back against the tree. Njada stands and in between breaths I manage to wheeze, "Don't. Touch. Me. Again.". My elder looks absolutely crushed and begs, "You don't mean that.". The storm overhead lets out another _crack_ and I assure her, "It was a mistake. Let's not do it again.". Njada's face begins to turn red and her lip quivers.

"Please. You don't mean that. You _can't_ mean that.". I swallow and nod. "I mean it. You're my friend, but I can't do that again. Friends don't fuck friends.". Njada seems to gather herself a little better. At least her lip isn't quivering. "So, we're friends?". I nod. "So, could you change your mind?". No. "Maybe. I can't see the future.". I slide down into the mud, my back scratching against the wood of the tree. Once I'm seated I wait for her to respond, but she doesn't. All she does is look into the trees. Suddenly, Njada whispers, "We need to go.". I quickly stand up and start to ask, "Wh-". She grabs me and flips me around so I'm looking at the trees. For a moment I just see darkness, then lightning illuminates the area. More importantly, the hundreds of Silver Hands waiting for us.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

By the time we're done I'm sweating, hungry, and thirsty. The Khajiit's pelt is soaked and I can hear her panting through her gag. I slide off of her and untie her wrists and ankles. For a moment all she does is lie there; her chest rising and lowering as she struggles for breath. I decide to be merciful and help her out. Her ears twitch when she hears me walking towards her head, but she doesn't do anything. I gently take the blindfold off of her and take the waded up ball of cloth out of her mouth. I cringe at the spit covered rag and toss it to the side with the other piece of cloth. Finally, the woman begins to move. She starts undoing the ropes that were once binding her.

I take the chance to go find a large towel to dry off with. As I'm wiping myself down I hear the bed groan as the Khajiit rises. Her orange and red arm reaches by me and grabs a towel. For a few minutes we just stand beside each other in silence and clean up. Once I'm done I toss the towel to the side and start getting dressed. My stomach is growling and it's the middle of the day. When my armor's on and my weapons are tied to my back I tell my apparent lover, "I'll go get us some food and drink. Don't worry about money, it'll be cheap enough. If our normal table's empty I'll get it for us. Find me once you're done dressing.". She nods, but focuses on drying her mane.

The bar is just like it always is. Barely lit by the candles on each table, reeking of mold, and somehow a little damp. Literally. The floors and walls all have a nice shine to them. I go over to the innkeeper and order us the best meal they have. He hands me three chunks of hard black bread, some beef that's been burnt, a mushy apple, and two jugs of brown ale. I sigh and take the food to our normal table. As I sit down I notice something. The dried wood has numerous initials scratched on it. Well, _pairs_ of initials scratched on it. I look around the inn and make sure my lover isn't here and nobody's looking. The temptation is too great. I pull my dagger from my boot and start scratching.

_A_ for Aela and _H_ for my title. Not sure what the oblivion my last name is, but even if I did I wouldn't write it. For the Khajiit I simply scratch the first letter of her first name in the wood below the _AH_. She doesn't have a last name and doesn't have a title, so the simple letter will have to do. I'm about to put my dagger up, but I can't. It's bugging the fuck out of me that the Khajiit only has one initial below mine. I groan and bring my knife back out, then quickly scratch another _H_ into the wood. She can share my title. She killed more men and animals that I can count when she went on her rampage, so I suppose she's a 'huntress'.

Suddenly, the seat beside me is filled up. The Khajiit offers me a smile, but winches as she raises one of her arms to grab a piece of bread. I hand her the loaf and question, "Too rough?". She shakes her head, but tells me, "You might not want to gag me next time. If you _did_ go too far, then I wouldn't have been able to tell you.". I nod and agree, "I won't gag you again. Well, not true. I'll look into getting a gag with a mouth opening.". I realize the knife is still out and quickly slide it back into my boot as the Khajiit chuckles and offers, "It's not much of a gag then.". Before I can respond, someone roughly burst through the door and announces, "Jobs! Mercenaries and cut-throats wanted!".

The owner of the bar screams at him, "Quiet down! You want everyone knowing what you people do?!". The man that burst in stops and awkwardly mumbles an apology. That's when a brilliant idea comes to me. If we do some jobs, then we could eventually save up and pay off the Khajiit's bounties. I motion at the woman (who's started to eat) and tell her, "Wait here for a minute, I have to look into something.". She nods and continues chewing as I stand up. The man holding the papers is short, fat, and covered in chain-mail that hides all of his features; however, I swear I see him perk up when he sees me walking towards him.

He offers me the stack of papers and I scoff. "Just give me one that doesn't involve assassination, and that can be done by only two people.". The man quickly goes through the stack and hands me one. He starts to speak, but I raise my hand to stop him. He shuts up and I read the ad.

_One to three person(s) with strong muscles and loyalty to the queen needed. Persons believed to be loyal to Ulfric have been spotted in the woods. Brave souls are needed to find and execute the traitors. These men and women are highly dangerous, armed, and their numbers unknown. An attempted assassination has already been made on the queen's life, and these ruffians need to be caught and killed before they can try again. The reward is new armor, weapons, a special title from Queen Elisif, and more gold than you can ever imagine._

_ If you accept the job please be aware of the danger, and the fact the heads of the traitors will be needed in order for you to get your payment. No background checks will be ran, but anyone with a known bounty in Haafingar may not apply. Your application will be ignored and a warrant for your arrest will be renewed. Speak with Sybille Stentor at The Blue Palace for more details and to confirm the job. No Orcs or Argonians may apply, and the employer would prefer Nords above any other race._

I take the paper and turn around, never giving the man another glance. The Khajiit it idly drinking a bit of her mead, but she's already eaten her share of our breakfast. I sit down, pass the job offering to her, and start eating my own food. The woman stops drinking and slowly reads over the paper. As I scarf down my food she makes 'hmm' and 'ah' noises once in a while. Finally, when I'm done eating she gives me a more solid response. "I like the sound of it. Want to go to The Blue Palace and find Madame Fancypants?". I chuckle and ask, "Madame Fancypants? That seems unlike you. I thought you were all knightly and refused to be evil in the slightest.".

Her ears flick down and she doesn't look at me as she explains, "I _am_ knightly and believe in good over evil, but I don't like Elisif. Or Ulfric. Or even the Empire. _Definitely_ not The Thalmor.". She manages to meet my eyes and raise her eats as she explains further, "None of them give a damn about their people. People like me and you. The tiny ones who can't make a difference. All of them are fighting and screaming while _we_ get stepped on. I like the little guys. I like protecting those who need it. You know?". I nod and tell her, "Well, Madame Fancypants is going to pay us top coin to go smash some baddies' faces in and protect the little people.". She offers me a smile as we rise, bump arms for good luck, and begin walking. Looks like today's shaping up to be the best day ever.

* * *

**Krev POV:**

My horse pants beneath me, but I don't stop pushing him. A storm is coming, and the tracks are about to be washed away. If I'm lucky The Companions will lose the tracks. However, I've never been lucky; so I keep going and watching the beasts' prints. They changed into normal human footprints around Bloated Man's Grotto, but I feel no need to refer to these monsters as 'human'. They're vermin. They need to be killed before they manage to attack another village. Suddenly, my horse rears and screams.

I look down at the tracks and realize why. They're fresh, so the smell of the wolves is still on them. I calm my stallion and work him up into a frantic run. I'm closing in, and I can guarantee that when I finally find the werewolves that it won't be pretty. I promise on the graves of almost all the villagers of Falkreath that I'll make the beasts pay. I solemly swear to myself. It's time I made those beasts pay.


	12. Sybille's Move

**Aela POV:**

Sybille all but shoved the assignment in our arms, told us where to go, and screamed at us to get our asses in gear. Actually, scratch that. That's exactly what she did. No 'but' about it. Now the Khajiit and I are struggling through the swamp. The dank place is sucking at our boots, and the dark trees are so close together we can barely see through them. A bit of rain dribbles down on us from the thick canopy of trees, but we both ignore it. The traitors' shack is somewhere in these woods, and we need to find it before they escape justice. And, the sooner we kill them the sooner we get paid. I'm focusing on the last part while the Khajit in front of me focuses on the first part.

A snake suddenly slides across my foot and I barely manage to hold back my curse as I kick the beast away. Once that's taken care of I hiss, "Are we almost there?!". My companion stops in her tracks and I run into her back. Without looking at me she nods and whispers, "We've arrived.". I muscle up beside her and take in the sight before us. The small opening in the trees shows us a small clearing. A single filthy shack in the middle of the clearing is all that's there. Why the traitors would choose to hide there I'll never know, but I'm not going to question it. I nudge the Khajiit and ask, "Ready?". She nods and whispers back to me, "Ready whenever you are.".

I smile at her and confirm, "Human form?". She nods and clarifies, "Human form. I want to see those traitors die because of my blade.". I nod and take my bow off of my back, idly putting an arrow in place as we begin walking. I can hear voices and movement coming from the shack as we draw closer. The place doesn't have windows or any openings, so the people inside won't be aware that we're coming. Perfect. Once we near the place my friend begins running, and without a second thought I charge after her. My lover leaps at the door feet first, and the wood _cracks_ open beneath her toes. As she flies into their hideout I hear her scream, "FUCKING COMPANIONS!".

I chuckle and jump in after her. The cabin is empty besides three ragged men in Imperial gear, all of them crouched over the bloody body of a deer. All of them whimper at the light and hold their hands up. Usually I'd assume they aren't going to fight back, but they have swords dangling from their belts. Weapons and a warrant are enough to justify me killing them. My arrow rips through one of their skulls as the Khajiit struggles to her feet, barely pulling her sword out of her belt. The Khajiit lets out a war cry and charges, swinging her sword like a madwoman. One of the traitors screams and brings his arms up to defend his face. It doesn't work in the slightest.

My friend's sword tears through his arms and cracks open his head. The man's brains slide out of his skull as he falls to the floor. However, his death did manage to do one thing. His head slows my friend down because her sword gets stuck in his skull, and she's left tugging and cursing for the rest of the fight. By now the last Imperial impersonator is huddled up in a corner crying as he looks at his fellows' dead bodies. I smile and draw my bow, letting loose one last shot. A gigantic fountain of blood erupts from the man's chest as he slumps to the floor. I smile and walk over to him. His glassy eyes ask 'why' as I rip the arrow from his chest and return in to my quiver.

I don't offer a response. The Khajiit finally manages to rip her sword from the dead man's body. I stand beside her and we both look around and nod our heads in approval. I pat the woman on the back and tell her, "Not bad. Not bad at all.". She smirks and reaches down by her foot; ripping the last arrow from the man's head and giving it to me. As I return that one to my quiver she notes, "This was a lot easier than I would have expected.". I nod in agreement, but assure her, "They were just weak. Now come on, we have a bag of gold and some other fancy prizes waiting for us.". We cut off the three men's heads, shove them in a sack, and begin walking. The Khajiit smiles as we begin walking away, leaving the bloodiness behind us.

* * *

When we find Sybille in her normal spot I step forward to speak, but the woman raises her hand and stops us. I share a look with the Khajiit as my fellow Nord says, "Not here. Meet with me and General Tullius in private. Now.". She turns and begins walking away, her blue robes dragging behind her. I look at my companion and she shrugs, then follows the woman who's promised us riches. I stand there for a moment in confusion, then quickly jog after and catch up with her. Sybille leads us down stairs, across a small courtyard, and up another set of stairs. She leads us into a almost completely bare and white room. A table is in the middle of the room, two chairs on either side of it.

Sybille motions at the setup and announces, "You two sit down. I'll return with General Tullius and we'll discuss your reward.". Before we can answer her, she slides out of the room and shuts the door behind us. I even swear I hear it lock. However, my Khajiit lover doesn't question it as she slides into one of the chairs. I slide into the one beside her and idly tap my fingers on the wood. It takes quite a few minutes, but we both don't speak. We just sit there in silence. For a few minutes I consider fooling around with her, but that's when Sybille and General Tullius choose to make their entrance. Damn it, always the wrong time.

The two sit across from us. Sybille is the first to speak. She turns to Tullius and says, "Listen to the deed they've done, then reward them accordingly.". He nods and Sybille turns to us. "Where did you find the criminals?". I pull the map she gave us out and unfold it, then point to the spot Sybille circled in red. She nods in approval and questions, "What were these men wearing?". I quickly describe their gear. Imperial. Plain and simple. Tullius is leaning forward in his chair, hanging on to every one of my words. Sybille says, "Show us the heads.". I reach down, yank the bag up, and dump the heads out on to the table. Sybille stays calm, but the General can't help it when he cringes at the sight.

All three heads are bloody and slightly smashed from the trip. All of their glassy eyes are gazing at the ceiling, and all of their tongues are flopping out of their mouths. Tuillius suddenly looks extremely pissed and disgusted as he starts shaking his head. And, I don't like the smile that's forming on Sybille's lips. The woman turns to the General and hisses, "See?! I told you the warriors who suffered from shell shock weren't safe out there!". I turn to look at the Khajiit. She's looking me dead in the eyes. Her eyes are wide, her ears are flatten, and a look of confusion is on her face. I'm certain my own expression matches hers.

Shell shocked warriors. Men and women who've been exposed to combat too long and snap. Usually they're returned to their families or put in a home, but it appears Solitude's solution was to stick them all in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. A locked cabin without windows. In a place where no predators or bandits would go looking. Somewhere safe. Somewhere only two mislead mercenaries would go. I hear the General move in his chair. That gets both the Khajiit's and my own attention. The man slowly reaches out and takes one of the skulls in his hand. As he turns it around he looks at us and whispers, "Why?". Sybille interrupts before either of us can say anything.

"It doesn't matter _why_. Just consider it a miracle these two criminals had the decency to turn themselves in.". Tullius nods and agrees, "It's not honorable to attack veterans who aren't in the right state of mind, but at least you turned yourselves in once you were done killing. Had _that_ common decency I suppose.". I can't take it anymore. I try to speak. I open my mouth and Tullius roars, "QUIET!". I snap my jaws shut and the man stares at both of us as he launches into a little speech. "I can't understand why either of you did this, but I suppose that doesn't matter. What _is_ important is that you've done it, and now need to be punished.".

He stands up. "These heads here prove you guilty of three murders. Not only murders, but the murders of three _veterans_ who were being cared for by The Empire. What you've done is beyond unspeakable.". He shakes his head and he looks back and forth between both of us. "These men gave up their mental health while fighting for this province, and you just-". He gasps and looks at the floor. I see every muscle in his body tighten. Slowly, he relaxes and continues speaking in a quieter tone. "You're both sick.". He manages to look at both of us. "But it's not for me to judge you. That right falls on Queen Elisif of Solitude. Usually we'd throw you in jail until the queen is free to hear your cases. We'd also provide a few lawyers and whatnot for the trial.".

Sybille stands and takes over for him. "But that's not the case this time. You're both dangers to society, and need to be judged as quickly as possible. The queen isn't doing anything right now, so you'll be tried as soon as we can drag you to her.". Tullius takes back over from the Nord. "And, you _aren't_ going to be given lawyers. You've already admitted to the killings by presenting the heads. Now all Elisif has to do is decide what kind of punishment to give you.". His eyes turn dark as he confides in the room, "I pray to the gods that it's execution.".

The Khajiit and I both begin screaming the truth and standing up at the same time. Not a smart move. Tullius lashes out and _cracks_ me across the skull while Sybille _zaps_ my friend with a lightning spell. We both stumble as they grab us and begin dragging us back through the palace towards the waiting queen. My friend and I make eye-contact as we begin to fight against our captors. Kicking, scratching, screaming, flailing. Anything we can possibly do to free ourselves.

It's clear Sybille has set us up, and neither of us want to take the fall. The woman in question seems rather cheerful as she walks along, dragging two innocent women to their possible deaths. Even Tullius seems a little perkier than when he first came in. We both begin screaming louder, our desperation growing. However, as we're taken away nobody comes to our aid. Our screams are swallowed up by the stone, never to see the light of day. Typical.


	13. No Good Deed

**Dovahkiin POV:**

We're marched before the queen in shackles. The dark throne room only has a few torches adorning the walls, and the eerie glow they cast dances upon the dark stone walls like demons before their master. I've heard tales of Queen Elisif. She once was the proud leader of Solitude. Then, the mercenaries came. They allied themselves to her and swore to overtake Ulfric Stormcloak. In reality the mercenaries took all of Solitudes supplies, destroyed some of their natural resources, and marched away to Hammerfell when they heard the rebels were marching this way. But that's not the legend that everyone is talking about. Rumors spread like wildfire around the court; therefore one has always managed to remain, regardless of how hard the queen tries to eradicate it.

The lips of noblemen have told the tale a thousand times, and by now even _I_ know it. Elsifi fell in love with one of the mercenaries, and the mercenary fell in love with her. The two came together in perfect harmony, and helped each other overcome old wounds. That is, until the mercenary band decided to leave. The mercenary that loved Elisif was a sort of leader, and her refusing to leave didn't sit well with her fellows. The mercenaries cornered Elisif's love, and it's said they tore her apart like wolves on a lamb. Queen Elisif was the one who found the body in the courtyard, a mere few feet from sanctuary.

It broke the queen. She threw herself into drinking, fucking barmaids, hunting, falconry, and punishing any 'traitors' to the crown. It turns out that nowadays 'traitor' can mean 'anyone who looks at Elisif wrong'. Even her Thanes shy away from her. Along with her transformation the queen also redecorated her throne room. The two wooden thrones and replaced by one gigantic one make of steel. A dragon's head peeks over the top of the metal, and two iron wolves flank the Jarl. The entire room is darkened, and the furnishings are sparse. Two gigantic banners hang from the wall. The one on the queen's right has the wolf of Solitude, and the one on her left has the seal of The Empire.

Four gigantic brazens sit around the room, two to the queen's left and two to the queen's right. They're the only source of fire in the room, and that explains the lack of light. A small area to the queen's right is set off for her Thanes. Three tiny chairs around a small table filled with food. Not a soul in sight is sitting there. The final touch are the statues and trophies. Along the walls are at least a dozen statues depicting fantastical beast that rarely inhabit Skyrim. Unicorns, werewolves, gigantic boars with swords for tusks, crystal lizards, crabs the size of carriages, and anything else. Above each statue hangs a 'trophy' from a successful hunt the queen's been on.

Deer, wolves, hawks, and any poor animal too stupid to escape the queen is hung on her wall. I don't have time to admire the room any more as Sybille kicks my knee, forcing me to the ground. Aela is given a similar treatment. I look up from the floor and see the woman of legend. The queen's harsh face stares at us from beneath her unkempt bangs, a bottle of wine already dangling from her thin and sinewy hand. As I watch the woman lifts the bottle to her red lips, takes a gigantic swig, and returns to her normal position. Sybille and Tullius march up before the queen and block out my view. I scan the room once again. The only other person there is a scared looking man in royal robes with a beard.

He sees me looking and quickly finds a reason to look at the roof. Tullius begins speaking loud enough for the dead themselves to hear. "These prisoners have been brought before you because-". I tune out and instead take the chance to look at Aela. My friend is in a prostrated position and her forehead is to the floor. I look closer and notice her eyes are closed. I lean towards her and whisper, "You aren't giving up, are you?". Before Aela can answer the queen demands, "Bring the prisoners before me!". Someone kicks me in the side and I barely get up before Sybille is harshly yanking on my chains.

When we're marched closer to the queen I see her eyeing us. She looks over Aela without a second glance, but her eyes grow wide when she spots me. The drunk scoots forward in her throne, points at me, and demands, "That one! Bring that one closer to me!". Sybille unhooks my chains and yanks me towards the queen. I begin kicking and start to refuse to go along with it, but a solid knock across the head causes me to stumble. My captor seizes the opportunity and yanks me over to Elisif, then happily presents the woman with my hand. Once Elisif has my hand she does something that causes me to cry out in fear. She pulls me into her lap. Her sinewy fingers place the bottle of wine on the ground, then reach up and cruelly squeeze my jaw.

I feel her warm breath wash against my ear as she tells me, "I had a pet tiger like you once. She was the prettiest cat in the world. Her pelt was caught from the rainbow, her teeth were stolen from a saber cat, and her size was borrowed from a giant. She was the perfect pet. Then, her streak of fellows came back for her. They tore her limb from limb when she had her back turned, and left the body for me to find. She left them and promised me forever, but it turned out forever was only a week. Ever since then I've dreamed about finding her again.". Her hand squeezes tighter and she forces my head to turn, completely ignoring me when I let out a small cry of pain.

Her bloodshot eyes bore into mine as she snarls, "You _aren't_ her.". She shakes her head. "You're small, your pelt is blood, and your teeth are lackluster at best. No. There's no way in oblivion you could be her.". The queen's other hand grabs the back of my neck and moves downwards, petting me like I'm an actual cat. "But I miss having a cat around here. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Her morals were solid, but only when it came to her. No, she wouldn't mind seeing another Khajiit crawl around here.". I hear General Tullius swallow before he ask, "My queen? Are you saying you wish to take this prisoner as a paramount?". For some reason Elisif slaps me as she snarls, "Of course not!".

Her voice booms off the walls, adding finality to her words. "Not in a million years. My tiger was one of a kind, and this cheap cat can't replace her.". By now I've recovered from the slap and Elisif is shaking her head. "No. I just want a Khajiit around here. I fear one day my alcohol might swallow me, and I'll forget all about the precious tiger I once owned.". She looks at Tullius as she continues to talk. "I just want one of her kind around. To remind me why I started this, and to remind me why I can't stop.". She turns back to me and nods, as if she's settled something deep in her own mind. "Yes. You'll live. You might not be happy, but you'll live.".

The woman suddenly laughs and continues, "But you'll need to do something! No free meals around here! So,". She leans towards me, allowing the smell of spirits and beer to wash over me. "what can you do?". I can curse you out in two different languages you disgusting, filthy, monarchist, overbearing, fat, lazy, uneducated, idiotic pig! I open my mouth with full intention of biting her, but one sound stops me. Aela softly whistles. My ear twitches and my eye slides over to look at her. My mouth is still hanging open when I finally spot Aela and see her shaking her head. Right. Not a good idea to bite the woman who saved my life. The queen and her actions absolutely disgust me beyond words, but biting her would be signing a death waver for both of us.

I close my mouth, swallow, and weakly tell her, "I'm funny.". It was the first thing I could think of, and it's only partly true. I can tell from a groan from Aela that I've said the wrong thing, but now it's too late to take it back. Indeed, the queen leans forward and eagerly demands, "Tell me a joke!". Every single joke I know flees from my brain. Then, a dirty one my mother once told me comes to mind. "General Tullius walks up to Sybille, and he's carrying a duck in his arms. He says, 'This is the pig I pleasure every night before coming to you.'. And, Sybille tells him, 'You must be mistaken, that's a duck.'. Tullius snarls back, 'I wasn't talking to you!'.".

For a moment the queen just stares at me, then it clicks together in her brain. Stupid pig. She slaps me on the back, throws her head towards the ceiling, and howls in laughter. Damn, it wasn't _that_ funny. Once she has herself under control she asks Sybille, "What was the name of that little man who came through here? The one with the funny box that kept telling jokes?". The older woman tenses for a minute, then relaxes as the answer comes to her. "His name was Cicero, your grace.". Elisif nods and questions, "What exactly was he?". Sybille looks confused at the questions, but does her duty and answers them. "He was a jester.". Elisif nods and looks off into the distance for a few seconds, then comes back to herself.

"Alright. Sybille, come here.". The woman carefully approaches the throne, eyeing both of us. However, she can't do anything when Elisif forces me into her arms. "I want a jester. Take this Khajiit and go fit her in her outfit.". I look up and see a cruel smile spreading across Sybille's face. "With pleasure.". I swear to god if Sybille touches me I'm going to bite her hand off. I talk big in my mind, but in reality I'm smart enough not to fight back. As Sybille turns and begins walking away I hear Elisif call out to Sybille, "Oh! Don't forget to dye her fur and pierce her up a little!". _Oh fuck me_!

* * *

**Aela POV:**

Once my friend is gone I'm forced before the queen, and she doesn't seem as thrilled to see me as she was the Khajiit. In fact, she seems almost bored as she asks, "Are you the Khajiit's friend?". No, I'm her fuck buddy. "Yes, your grace.". A smile flutters across the woman's lips as she mouths 'your grace'. Seems she likes that title. Then, the queen gets back to business. "Would she miss you?". Yes, wouldn't you miss the woman licking your cunt? "Yes, your highness. She would miss me terribly.".

Queen Elisif sighs, leans back in her throne, and rubs her temples. "Fine. We need a helper for the royal stables out back. It's not glamorous work, and you won't be getting paid. There's also no way you could escape, and free labor is better than a bloody head.". General Tullius grabs on to my arm, nods at his queen, and begins marching me away. As we go I keep mentally chanting, '_It could be worse. It could be worse. It could be worse_.'. Then, we get there and the smell of animal shit reaches me. Okay, it _couldn't_ be worse.


	14. A Fine Jester

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I scream as Sybille grabs my mane and twists it in her fingers, then begins practically running down the stairs. It's all I can do not to fall down and break my neck. Finally, we reach the bottom. I let out a small sigh of relief before Sybille begins running again. I have absolutely no idea where she's taking me, but I find out soon enough. The dark room is _obviously_ used for torture.

A gigantic tub is in the middle, a table full of knives and other torture devices is in the corner, some chains are hanging from the walls, and a few buckets are in the opposite corner. A single torch manages to light up the room. Not a single window in sight. Sybille releases me and closes the door, a _click_ telling me it's locked.

"Okay. Get naked.". I flip around and see the Nord woman waiting for me with a serious look on her face. I can't find any proper words to spit back at her (I'm terrible at thinking on the fly), so I just start shaking my head and backing up. Sybille lets out an animal like growl and begins stalking forward. That's when my leg hits the tub. My breathing becomes frantic as Sybille closes in, her face inches away from mine.

"Get naked, or I'll rip your clothes off of you. And I _won't_ be gentle.". I notice a strange glow in her eyes, and her teeth look like they could bite my head off. I start getting naked. I'd rather be uncomfortable than dead.

Once my clothes are off I can't look the woman in the eye. However, I nearly scream when the Nord lashes out and grabs me. Before I can argue she's yanking me over to the table full of knives and other tools. Sybille places me in front of it.

"Don't move, or else I'll give the queen a rug instead of a jester.". All I can do is nod as the woman smiles. Sybille yanks some bandages from the table, then gets to work. She sticks certain areas of my fur down on my torso, legs, and arms. When she's done my fur from the neck down is sticking up in a checkerboard pattern.

"Stay here.". Sybille offers me a glare before walking away. The woman grabs a stone in the wall and yanks it out, then sticks her hand inside the opening and pulls out another brick. She repeats the process until suddenly a gurgling noise sounds, and a small stream of water rushes out. The woman stands, nods, and walks over to the bucket. First, she dumps a green powder into the tub. Then, she uses another bucket to slowly fill it with water. Finally, it's done.

The Nord steps aside and motions at the bath. "Well, get in.". She looks absolutely thrilled as I slowly walk forward. Once I'm near the edge of the tub I look in and swallow a lump in my throat. No. I can't show fear to this woman. She's just another big person trying to step on all of the little people beneath her.

Easier said than done. I'm brave on the battlefield, but this is completely different. This woman (for some reason) set me up to take the fall for her, and it worked. She's a force to be reckoned with. For a moment I feel my resolve flicker and waver, but I quickly remind myself why I can't show fear.

If I allow her to step all over me, then she'll never be brought to justice. That's why I step into the tub without argument or a single tear shed. Once I'm in the dye, Sybille walks back over to the table. She returns with a needle, some thread, and quite a few bells.

"No.". My voice comes out as a whisper. I don't have a single piercing anywhere on my body. Some of my people love adorning themselves with silver and gold. I'm not one of those people. It doesn't appear to matter to Sybille.

"Yes. The queen wants a jester, and she's going to get one.". Before I can do anything to stop her, the woman lunges and grabs my throat. I hiss and begin fighting as much as I can. My ears are flattened and my tail is twitching, but I'm still in the water. Still being dyed green because some crazy woman wants a jester.

"Ugh. Stop fighting and grow a pair! You're not going to stop me any time soon.". I don't listen to Sybille's advice as I keep struggling. I see the gleam of the needle in the torchlight. That's when it begins its descent.

* * *

**Sybille POV:**

The woman kneeling at my feet is a crying mess, but the job's done. She's been turned into the perfect jester for Elisif. Her fur from the neck down is a checkerboard pattern. Purple and green. I even managed to changed the color of her claws, but they're lighter than the rest of her body. The stripes that go through her pelt have also been dyed, and they're darker than the rest of her fur. From the neck up I've split her face in to two colors. Green on the left and purple on the right, with opposite colored diamonds around each eye. Once her pelt was done was when I did the piercings. Her ears are covered around the edges, her nipples each have one, her bellybutton has two, I got one through her tongue, and I managed to pierce the hood that protects her fleshy nub above her entrance.

The last one cost me quite a few scratches, but it was worth it. Now I'm just finishing up by tying bells to her. Her tail will be completely covered, I'll tie a bell to each of her piercings, and on each of her fingers. A bit excessive, but Elisif will like it. Once that's done I pull a knife from my boot and go about fixing her mane. By 'fixing' I mean 'shaving'. Her hair won't fit in her hat, so she'll have to go without. Finally, the transformation is complete. The woman is huddled on the ground, but somehow manages to look defiantly up at me.

I roll my eyes and offer her a small bit of advice. "Don't move while I'm gone. You'll only make things worse for yourself.". I quickly leave, grab our last remaining jester costume, and return to her. She took my advice. I kick her in the side and snarl, "Up. Come on. Up.". She slowly stands, blood still leaking from a few of her new piercings. I shove the uniform in her hands. It's pretty straightforward. Once she's dressed I step back and nearly burst into tears as I laugh. Her coat is motley with the two colors complementing her pelt, the coat being orange and yellow. Her breeches hug her skin and stand out. Her left leg is orange and her right leg is yellow to match her coat.

Her head is covered with a garment resembling a monk's cowl, which falls over her tits and shoulders. On top of the cowl she's wearing a hat depicting the ears of an ass. And, (even more fitting) an ass's tail is pinned to the seat of her pants. Her own ears stick out beneath the ass's, and the same goes for her tail. Her sleeves stop at her elbows and her pants at the knees, so a large portion of her fur is still visible. The bells on her tail, claws, and ears are able to be seen, but the ones on her tits, stomach, and cunt are hidden. Oh well, not everything can be perfect. Time to add that special touch of fear to her, then she'll be ready to go see the queen.

* * *

**Krev POV:**

I tie my horse up in the stables, pull my helm down over my head, and start walking up to The Blue Palace. The tracks stopped a few miles away from the city, and it's clear they were heading this way. The werewolves had balls, I'll give them _that_ much. Hiding out right under the queen's nose. Dangerous, but the payoff could be huge. There are so may people in the city, so it's easier to hide. However, that almost guarantees that someone has seen the beasts in their human form. I pull the wanted poster from my pocket. I'll just have to show it to a few people. Well, _after_ I talk to the queen. From what I've heard the Jarl of Solitude is bonkers, but she needs to know there are werewolves in her city.

If I _do_ manage to find the beasts, then I'll need to track them until my fellows catch up with me. More than one leader of The Silver Hand has died because of a werewolf, and I have no intention of being added to that list. Once I've reached the palace I let out a small sigh of relief. At least I'll have someone else on my side. Hopefully. As I enter the throne room I freeze. Some poor Khajiit is dressed up in the stupidest outfit I've ever seen and doing a complex dance that's making her sweat practically flow off of her. Some Nord woman stands behind her, cracking a whip at her feet whenever the Khajiit stops to catch her breath.

I look over and see the queen reclining on her throne, a gigantic grin across her face. When my sight returns to the Khajiit I feel pity cause my gut to clench. Poor woman. That's when her foot _screeches_ across the floor and she falls. The Nord doesn't even give her a chance to get back up. The whip _cracks_ and the back of the Khajiit's suit _rips _open as blood pours down her back. The jester attempts to push herself back up, but her arms shake and she once again falls. The Nord raises the whip again, but by now I decide it's time to step in. It's obvious the woman is a criminal of some sort (a willing jester wouldn't be whipped), but I can't stand by and let a woman get beaten with a clean conscience.

I step between the queen and the fool. It's enough. Everyone's attention turns to me. The queen sighs and tells the Nord, "Take the cat away. She's done. For now.". The jester crawls out of sight, but a trail of blood shows me where she went. Oh well, she's not my problem anymore. I step forward and announce, "Your highness. I'm here with a matter of utmost importance. Two criminals threaten the lives of your citizens, and you yourself.". The queen didn't seem too interested about what I was saying until I mentioned her dying. Now she's scooted forward in her chair as she says, "Go on.". I nod and launch into my speech.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

When she comes to me I nearly cry at how low we've sunk. Her beautiful fur is dyed unnatural colors, her outfit makes her look like a simpleton, and a whip mark across her back is still bleeding. The only reason I don't burst into tears is for her sake. So instead of crying, I pull her to me and back her in to the stables as we kiss. I've been working for a few hours, and this place actually looks presentable. The animals are still outside, and a fresh bed of hay has been laid on the floor. The Khajiit's tail comes around me and I know what I have to do. What I _need_ to do. No, what we _both_ need. I pull back a little and rest our foreheads against one another. "I need you.". She doesn't argue as I pull her down.


	15. Krev

**Dovahkiin POV:**

Aela's previous sessions were nothing compared to what she's doing to me now. She's as rough as physically possible. She sinks her teeth into my neck, yanks my legs up to her shoulders, and sheaths four of her fingers inside of me. I open my mouth to gasp, but Aela uses her free hand to shove three of her fingers into my mouth. "Shh. I don't think the queen would approve.". I nod a little in understanding, but the woman doesn't remove her fingers from my mouth. I get the idea and roll my eyes. Aela roughly moves her fingers around in my cunt and I comply, sucking on the digits currently shoved in my mouth. Aela takes me hard and fast, never giving me a minute to catch my breath.

I don't remember much of the fucking; only that it hurts, and I absolutely love it. Finally, I reach my crescendo of pleasure and chomp down on my lover's fingers. The Nord hisses, "_Release_!". I wait until the final aftershock runs across my spine, then open my jaws. Aela pulls back her hand and looks down at me, a small chuckle coming from between her lips. Then, she slides down beside me and wraps me in her arms. Her arms gently encircle my waist and she nuzzles into my neck. A surprisingly loving gesture that wasn't part of our 'agreement'. I don't say anything about it considering the terrible situation we've both gotten into.

Then, she whispers to me, "What are we gonna do?". I look over at my hat that's currently thrown on the floor, the jackass ears standing proud. I sigh and mumble, "She made me dance.". Aela groans and offers, "I'd trade places with you in a minute if I could. You don't deserve to be some showy pet for that woman.". She rubs my stomach and makes me another offer. "If you want you can visit me any time you want. I know it's not much, but it's _something_ to distract us.". I nod and promise, "I'll come down here as often as I can. Although it _won't_ just be for fucking.". Aela chuckles and leans up, kissing my cheek. I feel my skin beneath my fur getting hotter.

I swallow and quietly ask, "Can we kiss? Is that against the agreement?". Aela shrugs and reasons, "Whores kiss their customers, and we're closer than a whore and her client. Aren't we?". I nod and Aela leans in, her lips lightly touching mine. When the Nord pulls back she strokes my stomach a little more and tells me, "The stables are clean, so I guess I'm free for the night. Are you?". I open my mouth to answer, but Elisif screaming, "Whore! Come here!" answers for me. I smile and stand. "Sorry. Duty calls.". Aela nods and we both stand up. I dress as quickly as I can, and by the time I'm done Aela is likewise clothed. We share one kiss, then break away. Time for work.

* * *

**Krev POV:**

I rub my temples in an attempt to drive the headache away. The queen allowed me to stay in the city and look for the criminals, but she offered no help. In fact, she belittled me for interrupting her jester's dance. Now I'm standing in the corner of the throne room. The queen wasn't thrilled about me staying there, but she didn't forbid it. I've decided to stay for a short while, just so I can get a feel for the queen and her actions. I might run into trouble with her later, and I'd like to know how to handle it. I expect to see a criminal of some sort brought before the woman. That's why I'm shocked when the jester is returned. The poor Khajiit's back is ripped open, hay is all over her, and her outfit is slightly messy.

The poor servant slowly sinks to her knees and bows, an apology already on her lips. Before she can even start to speak, the queen demands, "Dance for me!". The jester leaps up and starts her frantic dance, and this time there isn't even a Nord with a whip behind her. The poor woman's moves are frantic, she's panting, and it's clear she's uncomfortable. If the queen wasn't insane I would stand up and complain about how this is cruel and unusual punishment; unfortunately for the Khajiit Elisif _is_ insane, so I'm forced to stand back and watch. For half of an hour the poor woman dances as much as she can.

Her sweat is dripping off of her, her fur is flattened, and she can barely move. Finally, the poor woman collapses on the ground and sprawls out like a damned rug. Queen Elisif lets out a sigh and stands up, pulling a notched whip from her dress. That's what sets me off. That damned queen is sitting on her high throne, looking down on everyone below her. She's already taken it out on me, and now she's going to take it out on her jester. That Khajiit is doing her best to entertain her, and she's just going to whip her when she doesn't _quite_ reach her standard. I've sworn my whole life to protect people (that's the entire reason I joined The Silver Hand), and that's what I'm going to do right now.

I take two gigantic steps and reach the Khajiit _just_ as the queen swings. I instinctively fall to my knees and curl my body around the Khajiit's. Now I'm protecting her and using my body as a shield. Elisif's whip _scratches_ across my armor, but I don't feel a thing. The Khajiit had her eyes closed, but upon hearing the scratch she opens them and looks up at me. A look of deep gratitude and relief washes over her. Her dried lips move and she manages to quietly whisper to me, "_Thank you_.". That's when Queen Elisif lets out a roar worthy of a lion and yanks me back. I stand my ground. I _need_ to show her I'm not afraid of her.

The queen gets right up beside me, hatred flashing to life in her eyes. She opens her mouth to say something, but before she can a _squeak_ of a boot on the floor interrupts the standoff. The queen turns around and I look over her shoulder. The poor jester is pushing herself to her feet. I open my mouth to scream a warning. Elisif's arm is quicker than my lips. The whip _cracks_ in the air. For a few short seconds it doesn't look like the whip's long enough to reach her, then I see the _very_ last spike on the whip grab the Khajiit's cheek. The jester screams as she's jerked to the side by the force of her whip, a large chunk of her cheek _ripping_ off and sticking to the whip's spike.

The Khajiit falls to the ground, curls up, and whimpers in pain. I push past the queen and fall to her side. "Enough! Can't you see she's hurt?!". The queen scoffs and I hear her starting to head towards me, but someone calling her name stops her. Elisif scoffs and commands me, "Don't come between me and my bitch again.". Her footsteps disappear and the jester looks up at me. I can't help myself, I cringe at the sight of her face. Her entire left cheek is gone; the bone and her teeth revealed, even the slightest amount of her pink tongue is showing. Blood is gushing everywhere and fear is in the woman's eyes. I do what I've always done.

I help. The woman is reluctant to accept my hand up, but she doesn't fight me when I start lifting her up. Once she's standing I gently take her chin in my fingers, moving her head to the side so I can get a true feel for her wound. My fingers and hand are soon coated in blood. The Khajiit allows it for a few moments, then begins trying to pull away as she says, "I'm fine. Thank you, but I don't need you help. I'm fine. Really.". I shake my head and tighten my grip. Now she's forced to stay still as I tell her, "Follow me. I'll go take you to a healer.". She shakes her head and tries to fight, "No! Queen Elisif wouldn't want me to be away from the palace.". I sigh, but allow her to get away from my hand.

However, I take a step to the left and block her path. "Please. It's my fault your cheek got ripped open. She was aiming for your back, and my interference made her go for your face. Come on, it's the least I can do. I'll take you to a priestess, get you patched up, and walk you back here before the queen notices.". She looks conflicted, but it's clear her cheek is hurting her. Finally, she gives in and nods. "Okay, but I'm not sure the guards will let me through.". I straighten my back and scoff. "Trust me, the guards are going to let you through. You'll be with me, and guards don't like to question things that much.". She nods and allows me to lead her away, her cheek leaving a trail behind us.

* * *

**Skjor POV:**

Kodlka mumbles and examines the ground as we ride. Damned old man's been doing that for the last five hours. The tracks are ancient and smeared, but they're the closest we have. The rain's washed a large majority of them away and other animals have used this path. Kodlak suddenly stops and shakes his head. He yanks his horse around to face me. "I'm afraid the tracks are unusable. Are you sure you don't remember what the Newblood looked like in her werewolf form? The current picture is still too far-off for any of the citizens to recognize.". I shake my head and use the same old excuse, "She was fast and strong, I barely saw her tail.".

Kodlak sighs and mumbles, "We'd best start heading back. Try to see if any of the citizens remember anything besides 'giant, hairy, and toothy.'.". We start riding back towards Falkreath when the thunder of a stampede suddenly erupts around us. We both yank on our horses reins as two shapes burst from the trees. Kodlak and I draw our weapons, but we both freeze up when two nearly naked women rush up to us. Ria starts yanking on my saddle and Njada on Kodlak's, but they're both screaming the same thing as they try to climb on. "RIDE RIDE RIDE RIDE RIDE!". Kodlak and I don't react fast enough as The Silver Hand warriors start pouring out of the trees.

* * *

**Krev POV:**

The healer finishes casting a spell of the Khajiit's cheek, then holds her hand out to me. I drop the gold in her palm and motion for her to go away. The healer follows my command. The small room we're in is rather bare and sterile, but it looks like the Khajiit's sanctuary. She relaxes against the wall and touches her new cheek. Her eyes meet mine and she mumbles, "Thank you.". I reach out and gently take her wrist, pulling it away from her face. Her purple and green fur in gone on her healed cheek, revealing red and orange fur. I rub my fingers through her pelt. Such a young and pretty thing to be jailed and forced into a life of servitude. The woman leans into my touch and I decide to try to cheer her up.

"You have pretty fur. Is it always going to be this green and purple color?". She shrugs and whispers, "I hope not.". She still hasn't looked away from me. Her green eyes are surprisingly pretty. My hand still hasn't left her face. "You know, I can walk you around town a little.". She chuckles and looks away. "I don't even know your name.". I run my finger through her fur again as I tell her, "Krev.". Her eyes snap up to meet mine and she squeaks, "The skinner?!". I'm taken aback at her response. She knows me? I can tell from the fear in her eyes that she must think I'm some sort of rabid bandit. I decide to do something unheard of in The Silver Hand. Lie about my identity. "No. Just Krev. No skinning.".


	16. Krev's Kindness

I can see relief cover the woman's face as she nods at my lie and hops off the healer's table. I offer her my arm. She smiles a little and looks at the ground as she twines her arm with mine. As we start walking I start the conversation. "So. I don't mean to pry, but why are you the jester? What in the name of Mara could you have done to piss Elisif off so much that she decided to prance you around like a dog?". The woman lets out a long sigh and explains, "Not Elisif. Her right hand woman. Sybille, the one you saw earlier with the whip.". When she falls silent I rephrase, "What did you do to piss off Sybille?". Her looks at the ground and shakes her head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. The queen didn't.". I reach out and rub her arm. "Come on. I swear I'll believe you.". She looks up from the ground and meets my eyes. "Promise?". I nod and tell her, "Promise.". She looks around at the scenery as she tells me her story. "I got a job down at the inn with my friend. It was from Sybille. Said there were some 'traitors' to the crown hiding out in the swamp. Claimed they were dangerous and needed to be killed. Even said they'd tried to kill the queen. My friend and I got fired up, accepted the job, and went out to where Sybille had marked on our map. We busted into a small cottage and found three crazed men sitting inside.".

"This is going to sound stupid, but I'll say it. They weren't 'crazy' crazy. Just 'crazy'. Like harmless crazy. But we were given our orders, and we trusted Sybille. We killed the three and ran back to her. She took us into an empty room, sat us down, left, and returned with General Tullius. Turns out the three men we'd killed were Imperial soldiers suffering from shell shock. We tried to tell Tullius that Sybille had lied to us, but he wouldn't even hear us out. He took us before the queen so she could pass judgement on us.". I've been quietly listening to her story, and I feel sick to my stomach. Sybille abused her power and killed innocent men. It might have been the Khajiit's blade that slit their throats, but Sybille was the one pulling the strings and giving the orders.

The blood is on her hands, not the hands of this poor jester who was destined to take the fall. Sybille has power and she's wielding it in the wrong way. She truly disgust me. The story might have sickened me, but it didn't answer my question. "So, why did Elisif decide to make you a jester instead of chopping off your head?". The woman offers me an odd look. I chuckle and assure her, "I like your head on your shoulders. I'm just curious.". She smiles a little and goes back to looking back at the scenery. "Actually, I think that's the weirdest thing about all of this mess.".

"When I was being sentenced the queen demanded I sit on her lap. I did. She pulled me really close and started ranting about some mercenary Khajiit she use to fuck. Said that the mercenary was dead, and now she was looking for someone to replace her.". I vaguely remember hearing rumors of the queen taking a mercenary lover, but I never gave them much mind. Our headquarters is in Eastmarch, so I just chalked the rumors up to Ulfric Stormcloak trying to make his enemy look bad. Looks like the rumors weren't fake. However, that brings another thought to mind. "Do you think she's going to try to fuck you?". The jester looks over at me. "I mean, you know. To replace her missing lover and all. Think she'll fuck you? Or at least try?".

The woman's ears flatten, her eyes grow wide, and her fur stands up. "Oh gods. No.". She drops my hand and begins walking backwards, her back eventually hitting a stone wall. She slides down to the ground and hugs herself. I quickly slide down beside her and wrap my arm around her shoulders. I made this mess, so I'd better clean it up. "Hey now, I was just talking. If it was true she had a Khajiit lover, then she probably wouldn't want to ruin the mercenary's memory by sleeping with you. I just had a random thought cross my mind, and I started thinking out loud.".

She looks a little relieved and whispers, "You really think so?". No. "Yes.". She looks satisfied and leans into my touch as she relaxes. I rub her shoulder in comfort. It's odd to be touching someone I've only just met, but I can tell the woman needs this. She's been having a rough day, and a little physical affection can do wonders for people. Even now she looks like she's calming down a little more. I decide to try to make some more conversation. The poor Khajiit might be dead by tomorrow, and I don't want to miss my chance to brighten up her day a little bit. "So, why were you so against fucking the queen? Someone special waiting for you in Elsweyr?".

She shakes her head and tells me, "I'm from Morrowind.". I make a 'hmm' noise and tell her, "That's explains why you don't sound like other Khajiit. So, anyone special waiting for you back in Morrowind? I could smuggle out some mail or something for you.". She shakes her head and tells me, "There's someone special waiting for me back at the keep.". I fill in, "The buddy you went on the mission with?". She nods and I wonder aloud, "What punishment did he get?". The woman underneath my arm answers without hesitation. "_She_ got to become a stable worker. She absolutely despises it.". I apologize, "Sorry, just assumed you liked men.". She shakes her head and says, "Well, she's _kind_ of special.".

I turn and go, 'Oh?'. She nods and keeps talking, losing herself in conversation. "We have an _arrangement_.". Oh dear gods. I can already tell their 'arrangement' isn't going to work out. I tried having 'arrangements' with women when I was younger (and not in The Silver Hand). Not a single one of them worked out. I'd end up falling for her and she wouldn't want me, or she'd end up falling for me and I wouldn't want her. Either way, one of us went looking for love where there was none to be found. This poor jester is young and foolish. It took me fifty years of 'arrangements' before I finally realize something the Khajiit still doesn't know. If you try to start a relationship out as physical, then nothing will ever bloom between the two of you.

One of you may have feelings for the other, but they'll never be returned. I consider telling the woman this and trying to save her some heartache, but what's the point? The queen will probably beat her to death tomorrow. Let her go on believing in 'arrangements' and her friend. I almost _know_ that the second she's dead and in the ground, her friend will mourn her and move on with no trouble. 'Arrangements' don't blossom love and caring. They grow desire and passion. Desire and passion are wonderful in a healthy relationship, but they can't survive on their own.

I don't say a single word against her and her friend's 'arrangement'. Instead, I keep comforting her and say, "I'm sure you both care for each other. You must.". She shrugs and mumbles, "I hope she does.". If you have to doubt it, then she probably doesn't. "I'm sure she does. Anyone would be lucky to have a woman like you.". The Khajiit looks at the floor and sighs. I nudge her a little and offer, "We can keep walking around. See the sights and whatnot.". She nods and stands up. I take her arm again and our walk resumes. As we go she tries to start the conversation up again. "So, what were you doing in the keep?". Hunting down two dangerous criminals who could be hiding anywhere.

"Doing a job.". She questions, "Oh? You're a mercenary?". According to all of Skyrim I'm a bandit. "Yes. What did you do before you got painted up?". The Khajiit bites her lip before answering, "I was a sort of adventurer. Piss poor adventurer, but an adventurer. Made enough coin to get by.". I finish, "Then, you took the job of a lifetime and ended up getting swindled.". She nods and looks dejected. I rub her arm and assure her, "It could happen to anyone. You were just unfortunate enough to have it happen to you.". She spares me a look. "Really?". I nod and repeat, "Really.". She smiles and we continue our walk, our arms connected all the way.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

I violently jam my shovel into another pile of horse shit, throw it into my bucket, and once again curse the animals. The horses themselves are right in front of me and too busy chewing hay to notice someone cleaning up their stables. Stupid beast. For once in my life I'm going to eat a horse haunch for dinner without pitying the beast it came from. I'm shoveling up a pile of shit when the horse in front of my suddenly screams and kicks. I don't even see the beast's hoof, but I hear and feel the _crack_ of my nose. I fall down (barely avoiding my bucket of animal shit) and feel blood spewing from my face. The pain finally registers and I let out a screech of pain as I start clutching my nose.

I curl up into a ball and whimper. Finally, the bleeding stops and the pain slightly fades. I need to examine my face. I start to stand up and leave, but quickly realize I can't leave work. I curse and go back to working, a drop of blood occasionally falling in with the shit. I work as quickly as I can, but I make sure to be careful. Don't want to agitate my wounds. Finally, the stables are clean. I stumble outside and find a pool of water nearby. I fall to my hands and knees to examine my wound. My nose is pushed to the right side of my face. Carefully, I grab my nose and _crack_ it back to normal. Pain shoots across my face and I let out a hiss.

I examine my face again. My nose looks... off somehow. Like someone's slightly pushed it upwards and to the side a little. Damn. I also notice that my hair is filthy, matted, and flattened to my skull. I sigh and pull my dagger out of my right boot. They took my bow and arrow a while ago and forced me to wear peasant clothes, but they allowed a dagger. I wet the blade using the puddle and carefully run the weapon along my skull. With each swipe a chunk of dirty red hair falls into the water.

I hate the idea of being bald, but I hate the idea of lice crawling all over my skull even more. I'll have to talk to the Khajiit about shaving her body so she won't get fleas (my companion technically has fur instead of hair, so fleas would infect her instead of lice). It's not like we're going to get to take a bath any time soon. I sigh as I work the dagger along my head, my hair clogging the water below me.


	17. The Truth

**Skjor POV:**

I scream as I hurdle through the woods, Kodlak right behind me. The second The Silver Hands saw us they shot our horses until they were dead. It was a miracle we were even able to get out of there. Ria and Njada ran to the north in the direction of the lake, but Kodlak and I made the mistake of being too slow. The Silver Hand blocked our path and began herding us. Why they didn't shoot us I don't know, but now all I'm thinking about is escaping. Kodlak is huffing and puffing behind me. And, the pounding of hooves is gaining. That's when I see it. A flash of grey out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head slightly to the right and see our salvation.

A cave in the side of a cliff. I manage to reach behind me and grab onto Kodlak's hand. The old man starts fighting in confusion, but settles down once I start yanking him to our hideout. Both of us fly into the small cave and collapse, exhaustion overtaking both of us. The thundering of the horses passes, but I can also hear the barking of dogs. It's not a matter of _if_ they find us, but _when_. For a few minutes all Kodlak and I do is sit there and pant. Finally, we both fall silent. Kodlak speaks first. "Skjor. There's something I need to tell you.". I turn to him and freeze. A mix of shock and regret is covering his face. He looks at me and admits, "It's about the newblood and why I allowed her to join.".

I perk up a little and he keeps speaking. "I'll have to summarize, but you'll get the point. For months I've been dreaming of death. I would arrive at the gates of the gods, and Hircine would appear to drag me off. Then, a strange Khajiit with orange and red fur would show up and stand beside me. Together, we would draw our blades and fight the beast back. When I saw the newblood arrive, I _knew_ she was the one. I thought she would be able to handle becoming our leader. I'd planned on training her and spending years showing her the ropes.". A strange rage seems to come across his face. "Then, Aela went against my orders and ruined the entire plan!".

He suddenly calms down and shakes his head a little. "Oh well, I don't suppose my rambling does any good now.". He looks me in the eyes. "Besides, she probably wouldn't have been a good leader. If she couldn't control herself in her werewolf form, then she wouldn't have been able to control The Companions.". He lets out a long sigh. "It's probably for the best. I don't think it matters anymore now, but I wanted you to know. Just so that when I die you know _why_ I was so hard on the newblood and Aela.". He suddenly shakes his head again. "I never thought that they would actually run away from us, or that they would attack outside of the Whiterun hold.".

I hear horses riding towards us in the distance. Damn it. I can't let the old man go out like this. I take a deep breath and tell my leader, "I have something to admit to you.". He raises an eyebrow and goes, 'oh'. I nod and start talking. "Aela wasn't lying when she claimed that I helped the Khajiit transform.". My leader's eyes are wide with shock, but he remains silent as he allows me to continue to speak. "I urged the woman to participate in the ritual, and even went as far as threatening to kick her out of The Companions if she didn't listen. Well, 'implied' is a better word. Then, she went through with it. Aela _told_ me to close the doors and lock them beforehand, but I forgot.".

"When the Khajiit got out Aela and I chased her. I attacked, but I was knocked out. Aela was the one who stopped the newblood and brought her back. I lied because I was afraid of what the punishment would be.". I look down at the ground as Kodlak clears his throat and starts speaking. "I'm honestly surprised.". I still can't meet his eyes. "You don't seem like the kind of person to hide things and lie to your superiors.". I keep looking at the ground. "You realize how serious of a crime this is, don't you?". I nod and he continues speaking about my punishment. "You do realize that if we ever manage to get out of this, I'm going to have to transfer Aela's punishment over to you. Don't you?".

I nod as the sound of thundering horses comes closer. I scoot closer to Kodlak and tell him, "Don't worry. I don't think that we're gonna make it.". I feel his arm come around my shoulder. Right now we aren't two brave warriors about to die. We're a student and his mentor sitting in a hole, waiting for some monster to barrel through the entrance of the cave. I pull a dagger from my boot and my elder chuckles. "What do you plan on doing with that?". I look at the entrance and promise, "If there's a snowball's chance in oblivion that I can save you, then I'll take it.". Kodlak chuckles again as the horse's stomping comes almost as close as possible without finding us.

"Okay. Be safe.". I chuckle back as the horses stop. "Kodlak? Skjor?". How the fuck Ria got a horse I don't know, but I've never been more thankful. "Come on out ya assholes!". Oh look, Njada decided to come along to. I look over at Kodlak and whisper to him, "We're saved!". My mentor is looking me dead in the eyes with an extremely serious expression on his face. I squint and question, "What's-". He cuts me off. "Skjor. You're banished. I'll make sure the Jarl knows you were the one who did it.". He moves from my arms and stands, then starts walking away. I leap up and panic. I do the first thing that comes to my mind. I grab Kodlak, and I swing my dagger.

* * *

**Krev POV:**

The Khajiit is glued to my side as we enter the palace. I reach over and stroke her arm. "It's okay, don't worry about it. You'll be fine.". She's shaking, but somehow manages to nod at me. The guards don't spare us a second glance. I decide I might as well cheer her up. "Want to go see your buddy?". She looks up at me with adoration in her eyes. "Would you?". I nod and promise, "If you want to see her, then I'll take you to her.". She nods and whispers, "I saw her earlier, but that was before the whipping. Now I'm too scared.". I reach out and gently cup her face, then assure myself she's looking at me as I tell her, "Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you don't have anything to worry about.".

She seems to calm down and nods. "Yes. I'd like to see her very much. That is, if it isn't going to be a problem for you.". I shake my head. "It's not.". I start walking, and the Khajiit trails along beside me. I've come to think that the woman might not be all that bad. We both hate bigwigs, we have strong moral stances on what's 'good' or 'bad', and I've come to find she's filling something in me. Something Bartholomew has been trying (and failing) to fill for years. I've hardly known this woman for more than a few hours, but she seems pretty okay to me. If she lives long enough I think we could even come to be friends.

We find her 'buddy' out by the stables sitting over a puddle. The bald woman looks up at us and I cringe in sympathy. Her nose is smashed in and blood is covering half of her face. The Khajiit gasps and rushes over to the Nord. The Khajiit takes the other woman's face in her hands and questions, "What happened?!". The Nord leans in and kisses the jester on the forehead. The stable worker pulls back with a smirk gracing her lips. "Don't worry. One of the steeds got feisty and kicked. I was standing in the wrong place at the wrong time. I'll be fine.". The Khajiit wraps her arms around the Nord's neck and mumbles, "You sure?".

The Nord nods and seems to notice me. I can't help noticing something about the two. The jester insisted that they have an 'arrangement', but this arrangement seems rather odd. They appear too close, and they're showing a lot of affection. Maybe they're closer than the Khajiit thinks, or maybe the 'arrangement' has brought them closer than they care to admit. Either way, I can't think about it anymore because the Nord has noticed me. She takes a step forward and says, "Who are you?". I straighten up and tell her, "Krev.". Fear flashes across her face, but the jester steps in and says, "Not the Skinner.". The Khajiit nods and suddenly the Nord starts pulling her away and mumbles, "Need to talk.". As they rush away I shake my head. Odd.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

Aela paces back and forth in front of me. "I'm going nuts in here!". She yanks at her shirt and stops pacing. Her head snaps around to face me and I have to hold back a gasp. Her eyes are completely black, a thin fuzz is covering her face, and her teeth have all become fangs. Even her voices comes out as more of a growl as she says, "I need to get out. Hunt. Can't leave the city. They'll know. They'll see. They'll follow.". For a moment all I hear is grunting and snarling as she 'speaks'. The fur gets thicker, her eyes get blacker, and her teeth extend more. That's when I feel it. Something inside of my rising up and reacting to Aela's almost transformation.

She's the alpha. I'm her mate. I'm an alpha by extension, but she beats me. She's on top and in control whenever she claims me. I listen to her. If she thinks we should transform, then I should transform. I feel my teeth brushing against my lips, my fur begins to lengthen, and my field of vision widens. Her snarling and grunting makes sense. She wants to hunt. She knows an underground graveyard type place we can hide when we want to change back. Yes. Good idea. Hunt and eat. Feral. Like Hircine made us. Just for a while. Just enough to eat. A good plan. Aela crouches down and I crouch down beside her, both of us whimpering as we transform. We both stand and bump our heads together. Time to hunt.

* * *

**Elisif POV:**

I lazily lounge in my bed as I sip from my mug of wine. I can't help remembering _her_. A Khajiit the color of the rainbow with a smile splitting her face. They came and cut her throat, then yanked her tongue out through the wound to mock me. I killed them. I had my spies drag them back to the palace kicking and screaming. I pulled out my own knife and sawed off all of their heads. It wasn't enough. I wanted to kill everyone who caused her death. But you can't fight a gigantic group of mercenaries. I ended up sending a group of 'bandits' out to take care of them. They burnt down the camp and killed most of the leaders. It's still not enough. I need more. I need something to remember her by. That's when the answer hits me. A certain jester with fur dyed purple and green like my old lover's stripes. Perfect.


	18. Racing Towards Infinity

**Krev POV:**

I'm walking into the main throne room when I hear the scream. For a second I think someone's dropped a plate or an animal's bit someone, then I hear the howl. I tense up and hear the answering howl from somewhere far away. Without a second thought I draw my blade and start running. I find the monster outside the stables. Oh gods. _Oh dear fucking gods_. The beast is monstrous, and its muscles look like gigantic slabs of meat a butcher would use. But I can't get distracted by the monster's size. Someone is dangling from the beast's jaws, and they're still twitching. I yank my shield from my back and start banging my sword against it. The werewolf's ears twitch and it turns to me.

The poor servant dangling from its jaws is breathing frantically and is desperately moving her arms. The werewolf growls and swings at me, but doesn't drop the woman. I yank my shield up and hear the monster's claws _scratch_ against the metal. As she attacks I yell out, "Jab the eyes! She'll drop you!". I'm not sure if the woman's heard, but the next second I hear the beast roar in pain. Something _thuds_ on the ground in front of me, and I peak over my shield to see the servant twitching on the ground. I'm about to cheer when I see the werewolf raising her foot. Oh no. I drop my shied and leap, landing over the woman and shielding her with my body.

The beast's foot comes crashing down and I tense my body as much as I can. My back screams at me and my arms shake, but it's enough. Barely. The werewolf snorts and moves its foot away. I feel two gigantic hands wrap around me, and the next second I'm flying across the courtyard. I _crack_ into a stone statue of an angle and go sliding to the ground. For a moment my vision swings in and out of sight, then I finally manage to control it. I see the werewolf charging at me. I'm barely out of the way when it _slams_ into the statue. The angle _cracks_ and crumbles around the beast. Now all that's remaining is a pile of rock. Good. Good and bad I suppose.

It's not dead. Definitely not dead, but knocked out. But I can't reach it under the stone. Damn. I'll have to find the woman that was injured and bring her to a healer, then deal with this. Yeah. Have to- Something slams into me and tosses me across the courtyard again. I crash into a wall and find myself on the floor. I open my eyes and see a werewolf digging at the pile of stone. The smaller beast has a messed up snout (mostly around the nose area) and it's smaller than its pack member, but besides that it's identical. Dark fur, dark eyes, and muscles. I manage to push myself up as every part of my body screams in agony. It's not the will to fight that propels me, but the _need_ to fight.

The guards have either fled or been killed (I'm assuming), so I'm the only thing protecting this city from these werewolves. If I don't kill them, then I'm at least going to die trying. I once swore I'd never die from a werewolf because so many of the leaders before me had, but now I understand why they were killed. It wasn't because they were sloppy or slow. It was because they wanted to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. And that's just what I'm going to do. But I'd actually prefer killing the werewolves, so I'd better get to it. I take my sword in both hands (my shield is still by the injured woman) and charge. I don't scream or shout, that would only take the werewolf's attention away from the stone.

Right now it's still digging, and it even stops to let out a howl. A howl from inside the stone answers, and I realize something even better. The bigger werewolf is awake, it's just trapped. Perfect. Now I won't have to worry about taking two on at once. I'm a small distance from the digging wolf when I leap and bring my sword down in a beautiful arch. The beast suddenly moves, but I still hit it. Only in a completely useless place. The werewolf's tail _snicks_ off a few inches after its ass. The monster screams and quickly runs away to the other side of the courtyard, then flips around and faces me.

The stables with the injured woman are far to my right, a solid stone wall is to my left, the entrance to The Blue Palace is behind the werewolf, and the exit to the city is behind me. The trapped werewolf is off to our right slightly, but the stone rubble will be out of the way of the fight. The werewolf scoffs and falls to all fours, then lets out a roar that would make even the strongest foe cower. I stand firm. The beast charges. I remain standing. The werewolf's blood and tail lie beside my foot. I knock the flesh to my side. I don't want it in the way, and I can always retrieve it later. Make a nice tie. The first werewolf is almost upon me when the second one bursts from the rubble, stone dust covering her fur.

Damn it! The first one rushes away from the path to me and leaps upon her fellow. I freeze up. The two howl and knock heads. The smaller one even affectionately bites the bigger ones ears. Then, they both turn to me. The smaller one hangs back as the bigger one approaches. I've seen this tactic before. The big one will try to kill me, and the smaller one will make sure I can't escape. If I start running, then the small one will chase me down and kill me. Not a bad plan, but in this case it's terrible. I'm going to find a way to kill the big one, then the little one will be left on its own. And, after it's dead the city will be free.

My inner monologue is cut off by the big wolf leaping at me. I wait until the last second, then step to the side. The beast charges by me and I swing my sword. A _rip_ tells me I've hit my mark. Blood gushes from the monster's side and it howls, then does something extremely concerning. The titanic beast flips around with a grace it shouldn't have, and one of its paws solidly _thunks_ me on the head. I can't stop myself. I fall to my knees and my hands jerk, my sword flying to the side. Two tremendous hands wrap around me and I'm lifted into the air. I start struggling and try to reach the dagger in my boot. It's no use. The werewolf flips me around so I'm looking in its eyes.

A smile spreads across its lips and a deep growl comes from its throat. This is it. This is how I die. The beast licks its lips and starts opening its mouth, then freezes. It snaps its jaws shut and squints its eyes. Something clicks. The werewolf's eyes glaze over and it lets out a sort of whimper. I suddenly find myself on the floor. I hear a loud and long howl, and a responding howl from the smaller wolf. Then, they both begin pounding away from me. Damn it! I leap up, grab my sword, and start running. I'm not sure where the two are going, but I make a promise to myself. I'm going to hunt them down, slit their throats, and wear their skins as a cloak.

* * *

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I pound down the streets of Solitude, looking for a place to hide. Krev is after us, and Aela is still feral. I snapped back to myself when I saw my friend's terrified face, but Aela is still out of her mind. As I run a single question goes through my mind. 'How do I hide from Krev?'. She claims she isn't the Skinner, but her sword could still kill us. My vision becomes blurry and I hear Aela whimper. We haven't had anything to eat (Krev stopped me from eating that servant), so our transformations are close to wearing off. I look over my shoulder. Krev is near the palace, and we're near the guards' training grounds. A plan comes to my mind. Thankfully, the city is mostly abandoned because of us.

Now, all I have to do is my plan. I find a table beside the wall in the training yard and crawl underneath it. I barely fit, but I can feel my transformation coming on. Aela is sniffing at me and trying to get underneath the table with me. Finally, I revert back to my human form. My werewolf companion slides under with me. I pet her neck and 'shush' her. I can hear Krev's footsteps. Aela whimpers and reverts back. Krev is almost around the corner to where she can see us. Perfect. Aela is still out of it, but she's coherent enough to do what I want. I have the naked woman get onto of me and straddle my hips, then start kissing her for all I'm worth. Aela smirks and starts it up.

Her tongue enters my mouth, one of her hands claims my tit, and her free hand fumbles for my cunt. That's when Krev's footsteps stop. The table is flung off of us and my friend brandishes her blade. She even roars and yanks back her weapon, then stops. The poor older woman's face turns red and she makes a croaking sound deep in her throat. I freeze up, but it takes Aela a second or two to realize what's going on. Then, she looks over her shoulder. My lover yelps and falls to the side, attempting to hide herself behind me. I remain 'in shock' before coming back to myself. I use my tail to cover my cunt, and use my arm to hide my tits. "Krev...". I whisper.

She swallows and says my name. Then, she lowers her blade and asks, "Have you seen any werewolves? I thought they came this way...". I shake my head and 'explain' the situation. "No. We were trying to spend some time together. Elisif is drunk and you gave me a new sense of courage, so we went out and...". I trail off and Krev looks away as she mumbles, "I see.". Aela scoffs, but she seems to have realized the plan. However, what Krev does next _isn't_ part of the plan. She offers us both one of her hands and says, "Come on. There are werewolves somewhere around here, and both of you are unarmed and unarmored. I can't let you return to the keep alone.".

I look over at Aela. She shrugs and takes Krev's hand. I decide I might as well. I take my friend's hand and she helps us both us, then takes her sword back out. She points her weapon in the general direction of the keep and says, "Come on. We need to get back before the wolves find us.". We both nod and follow after her. I feel Aela's hand come down and wrap around my own. I look down at our joined hands and the woman leans over. "We'll finish later.". I nod, but can't help thinking of something. How many people did we kill? How many did we injure? We need to find a way to control this. We need to get our shit together, then find a way to control this. Yeah. That's what we'll do. It's what we have to do.

* * *

**Note: The next update will be on Saturday instead of Friday.**


	19. Purgatory

The second we're in the Palace Krev relaxes and puts her sword up. All three of us go over to the waiting area. A table with some food, two chairs, and a nearby window. For a moment all of us are silent and look at each other. Then, Krev turns to us and asks, "Can you two stay here while I go get the queen and tell her what's happened?". We both nod and huddle together. Krev nods back in response and turns to walk away. However, Queen Elisif reaches us first. She's at the foot of the stairs, and the second she sees us she starts walking over. A lump starts to build in my throat at the sight of her. The queen's blue nightgown is rumpled, her crown is crooked, and her hair is a nest of twigs.

Then, a smile spreads over her lips and I catch a glimpse of her hazy eyes. I hate big people like Elisif. They always look down on other people and step on those too tiny to fight back. In another time and place I might scream and shout at Elisif for what she's been doing, but now isn't the time. Ever since she's whipped me I've been terrified of her. The woman is clearly mad, and she isn't afraid of punishing me. I might despise it (I do), but I have to be kind to her. I like standing up for little people, but I like having my head even more. Besides, my pride isn't worth as much as my life. Krev and Elisif have both proven that about me.

That's when the queen reaches us. Her eyes flicker to me and she licks her lips. That's when Krev steps in between us. Thank the gods. My friend instantly starts reporting to the Queen of Skyrim. "M'lady. There's been a werewolf attack on the city. Two of them. One woman is wounded and out by the stables, but I don't know who else has been hurt. It appears a few of the guards might have been killed, or at the very least they fled their post. The two monsters are lost in the city, and I don't know where to find them. We need to act quickly if you want any chance of-". Queen Elisif suddenly reaches out and puts her hand solidly over Krev's face, then pushes the woman to the side.

"Yeah, yeah. Mortal doom and gloom. I know. I know. Save the city, save the people, save the fields, save this, save that. Blah, blah, blah. I'll get to it when I get to it.". She's been looking at me this entire time, and now she starts to walk towards me. I can't help myself when I start shaking like a leaf. The queen terrifies me. Then, I remember what she stands for. Big people. I'm a little person. I'm not going to fight her, but I can at least stand strong. At least show her that little people won't be pushed around forever. I straighten my back and look her in the eyes. Then, the queen starts raising her hand towards me. I start shaking even harder.

Her sinewy fingers come to rest at my cheek and she leans in. Her body is almost pressing against mine, and her lips are brushing my flattened ear as she whispers to me. "I know you left the castle. I was looking for you high and low. You were nowhere to be found.". Her tongue comes out and runs along the length of my ear (the part that isn't covered in fur). I cringe and try to shy away. I enjoy it when Aela bites my ears, but having the queen do it is terrifying and disturbing. The woman is a drunk with too much power, and by now she's quite a bit older than me. I might have felt attracted to her when I was a teenager (about five years ago), but not now.

Definitely not now. I try to pull away a little bit. The queen's other hand shoots out and grabs my arm. I freeze up and begin breathing like I've just ran a race. "You broke the rules.". Her voice sounds darker. Like she wants to hurt me, and she's barely keeping it in check. "You went against what your prison statement said you could do.". She pulls back and looks me in the eyes. "But I'm a merciful queen.". For a moment hope flares in my chest. Then, the queen turns to Krev and announces, "I'm going to interrogate the jester in my room. No matter what happens or what you might hear, _don't_ come in. I'll personally execute either of you if you do.".

Krev and Aela both looked stunned, but neither of them can do anything as the crazed queen starts dragging me away. I look over my shoulders and quietly start to beg them to save me from this woman. Neither of them do anything but watch me go. Elisif starts pounding up her steps and rushing towards her room. She nearly sprints down the last hallway. And, she practically throws me into her room. I stumble as I enter before finally getting to my feet. I hear the queen's door _click_ shut as the lock is turned. I flip around in terror to see the queen putting a key down the front of her dress. She sees me looking and smiles. "Don't worry. It's so nobody else can get in.".

I'm suddenly _very_ away I'm naked. Aela and I both were, but now it's a thousand times worse. The only thing I have covering me are the bells pierced in my nipples, the tips of my ears, bellybutton, and cunt. All of them are throbbing and fresh (thanks to Sybille), but now I'm embarrassed by them. It was one thing for Krev and Aela to see them, it's a completely different thing for this mad woman to see them. In fact, the queen is looking me over like I'm a slab of meat that she might buy. She even has the guts to lick her lips while looking at my tits. I don't worry about it too much until she starts walking closer, her eyes still on my breast.

I take a step back and manage to whimper, "My queen.". She looks up at me and slowly reaches out, and eventually her hand is cupping my cheek. "You look so much like her.". Her other hand comes to rest on my hip. "I loved her you know. We made love for the first time after she left her mercenary troop. We stood beneath the stars in Markarth and she said she loved me. She yelled it for the whole city to hear, then ripped that damned necklace off her neck and broke her contract.". I swallow and whisper, "What are you talking about?". I expect Elisif to get angry. Instead, tears come to her eyes and she reaches into her pocket (removing her hand from my hip).

What she pulls out confuses me. A little golden lion. His neck has been snapped and glued back on. A thin piece of twine is attached to his back. I suppose that's the necklace. The queen shoves it at me and snarls, "_This_ is what her mercenary group gave her to signify she was one of them. When we found her it was lying on top of her chest. They used her blood to spell 'traitor'. The only mercy was that they didn't skin or behead her. I don't think I could have bared to see her like that.". For a moment I give this woman my pity. She's an insane bigwig who likes torturing people, but I can vaguely remember a time when she wasn't this way at all.

It must have been tough losing two lovers. She had to watch Torygg get blown up, and apparently she stumbled upon the Khajiit's corpse. The poor woman isn't someone who's drunk on power and forced her way to the top. She was placed there by chance, then forced to watch two people she loved die before their time. Maybe she isn't so bad after all. Maybe she would've been one of the good ones if her lovers hadn't died. I decide I need to offer the woman some comfort. It's the decent things to do, and warriors like me should always try to do the decent thing. Even if it's painful. Or even if it might get us killed. The queen is still looking at the necklace in her hand, tears rushing down her face.

Her hand is still on my cheek and we're uncomfortably close. I reach out and place my right hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. It must have been tough.". She looks up at me and swallows. For a brief second I see familiarity flash in her eyes, and I know she isn't seeing me. She's seeing a lover who's dead and buried. Then, she returns to normal and starts talking again. "You look so much like her now that your fur is dyed. You don't have the rainbow stripes, size, or the fluffed fur, but you remind me of her. Bright colored and pretty. I think Sybille colored you that way on purpose. To try to help me forget.".

All of the kindness and affection leave her eyes. "But I don't want to forget.". Her hand on my hip squeezes, and she roughly places the necklace on me. I don't bother fighting, but I don't exactly help. Finally, once it's on me her free hand lands on my shoulder. I swallow and manage to squeak, "Elisif, I'm not-". I'm cut off by her lips crashing down on mine. I nearly vomit. The taste of beer, unwashed mouth, and whatever she last ate invades my mouth. I gag and start trying to get away. The queen snarls and one of her hands goes to my wrist, and the other to my tit. Her left hand grabs both of my wrists and traps me while her right hand grabs the piercing in my right nipple, then twists.

I cry out and stop fighting as pain courses through my body. The twisting sensation is unbelievable and hurts my entire breast, so it's only natural I would stop. Once I'm done fighting, Elisif lets my nipple go and the pain slowly goes away. However, my previous cry of pain opened my jaws, and now Elisif's slimy tongue is inside my mouth and dominating me. When the woman finally pulls back she doesn't even look me in the eyes. Instead, she's eyeing my tits as she mumbles to me, "You'll do fine. You're not nearly as big as her, but you'll make up for it. I'll top you like a did with her. She always liked me on top.".

I swallow and tell her, "Elisif. Please. I know you're hurting, but this isn't going to help. Your lover is gone. Just cherish her memory and-". Her hand _cracks_ across my face before I can get any father. Then, she grabs my mane and yanks my head around so I'm looking at her. "Like oblivion this won't help!". She violently shoves me towards her bed. "I miss her, and you're as close as I'm going to get. So, get in the damned bed and spread your legs, or I swear to the divines I'll call Sybille in and have her pin you down!".

A year or two ago I would've jumped at the chance to fuck Elisif (purely for bragging rights since I still hate bigwigs and like making them look bad), but not today. Definitely not today. I know Krev and Aela are somewhere. I know Elisif told them not to come, but I know one thing that'll make them run. "**RAPE**!". Not creative, but I know my friends won't allow the queen to force herself on me. However, the woman in question has different ideas. She takes three giant steps towards me, then swings.

* * *

**Note: So, small thing. In 'The Queen and Her Cat' Sybille obviously died. Originally I hadn't planned on this being linked to The Queen and Her Cat (just a brief callback), but it appears it's getting a little too tangled. Feel free to interpret it how you want. It doesn't matter if Sybille didn't died, she somehow came back (because vampire), if Elisif forgave her, if Sybille never took part, etc. It doesn't matter. In fact, 'The Queen and Her Cat' and 'The Name of the Prey' couldn't be related at all. Depends on you and what you want to do with it. That's all on that matter.**

**Now, onto something else.**

**'Herding Love' will be wrapping up soon. Spoiler alert, works that end quickly like it's going to tend to end the same way (Thirst, The Wolf Queen's Bitch, Love, Disgusting, Maid in Whiterun, and probably some others). I'll be back down to my usual two stories. Not starting a third one. I've said that multiple times and ended up being a liar, but this time it's for real. Hopefully 'A Life Across the Ages' will wrap up a little after 'Herding Love'. Then, The Name of the Prey will be my only work. However, I'm also slightly worried. I can see 'The Name of the Prey' coming to an end sometime within the next two months. I love working on it, but I'm not going to drag it out any more than it needs to be (I learned from 'Revolting' and 'The Settlement').**

**Now, another matter that's been pushed down. Starting a work in another universe. Here are the current options. They've been selected by how often I've been messaged about them, how well they took form in my mind, what I can work with, what I'm going for, and what I know. There are more reasons, but the list of 'why' is long enough as it is. I won't tell any plots. Instead, the pairing and my depth of knowledge. So, here you go.**

**Dragon Age:**

**Dragon Age ****Origins: Leliana/Female Warden. Haven't played it in a while, but I have it somewhere in my stack of games. I generally remember two things about 'Origins' off the top of my head. 1. I never played as anything other than a city elf warrior. And, 2. Leliana was the only romance option a homosexual female had unless she wanted her character to be male (which I didn't). I also remember loving the game and only fucking up once in a while.**

**Dragon Age Two: Female Hawke/Isabela or Female Hawke/Merrill. I loved Dragon Age Two, and I've played it more recently than 'Origins'. I generally romance Merrill (so I'll have more knowledge there), but it's fairly easy to start the game up again and see what Isabela's romance is like. Hawke can't really be messed with past wise, but otherwise she's a generally blank slate to work with. I usually played Hawke as a warrior (surprise), but occasionally ventured out and played as a mage.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition: Sera/Female Inquisitor or Josephine/Female Inquisitor. I considered adding Cassandra to the list, but somehow it seems wrong to mess with a character's sexuality. Now, onto the description. I always play as a Qunari warrior (again a surprise) and on rare occasions an elven mage. I enjoy Sera's character, but keep in mind she's generally straightforward. No room to work something in with her character wise. However, I could add a few more rooftop scenes or other romantic scenes.**

**Onto the next video game.**

**Dark Souls: Female Chosen Undead/No idea. Rhea? Quelaag? Quelaag's sister? Dark souls doesn't offer any sort of romance, so this story would take a different approach. Mostly just telling the undead's story with occasional one-night stands included. The cast of female characters is small (as are all NPCs in Dark Souls), but I could probably make something work. At the very least a scene with Rhea or Quelaana.**

**Now, there are even more options. But to make this chapter a reasonable length I've cut the choices up. Trust me, there'll be more next time.**


	20. Elisif's Urges

I feel the queen's fingers wrap around my neck as she begins backing me up towards her bed. On instinct I reach down and try to find my inner wolf. I find it, but it hasn't been long enough since my last transformation. I'm stuck in this weak body that can barely chew cud. My knees hit the back of Elisif's bed and she pushes me down. I open my lips and croak, "_Rape_.". That tiny word leaves me winded and at the queen's mercy. Her ravenous eyes look at my body like a butcher would a suckling pig. It's like I can _feel_ her eyes peeling away my clothes and laying me bare before her. I imagine it's what a deer feels like before a dragon tears it apart.

Elisif's hands are firmly around my throat, but I don't fight back. Any second Krev or Aela will save me, and I won't have blood on my hands. I wait. And wait. And wait. All the while the queen continues eyeing me and allowing me to suffocate. It's only as my vision goes blurry I realize that's what she wants. She wants me to pass out so she can do whatever she wants to me, or so she can tie me to the bed and I can't escape. Like fuck am I letting that happen. I slide the claws of my right hand out, take careful aim, and _rip_ my hand across the queen's face. She howls and yanks her head back, but doesn't let go of my throat. Okay, she's the one who brought me to this course of action.

I peel my lips back and flatten my ears, then let out a _hiss_ worthy of a snake. However, the effect may be ruined by the fact my eyes are traveling everywhere and I can't seem to focus on anything. I manage to gather my wits enough to _rip_ the queen across the face again. Her face is a blur, and her 'ah' of pain seems extremely far away. _Finally_, the hands around my neck go away. I inhale and my vision comes crashing back. The queen's cheek is ripped open along with her lip. I expect anger in her eyes, but what I find is a boiling rage worthy of a dragon. I use the few seconds I have to scream again. "**HELP**! **RAPE**!". The queen snarls, but does something unexpected.

She gets off of me. I'm about to breathe a sigh of relief when she returns, a knife glittering in her hand. I swallow and go silent, still spread across the woman's bed. She gently kisses my neck with her blade and whispers, "Anything else you'd like to say?". I shake my head. "Are you sure? No accusations to throw at me? No pleas for me to halt?". I shake my head again. "Hmm. Pity. I always thought pretty little whores like you enjoyed being pushed around.". My fucking gods. I've been captured by an insane psychopathic rapist who's going to kill me. Maybe I deserve it. Maybe it's just payback for all the people I slaughtered and ate in Whiterun and Falkreath.

I suppose it would make sense. Some higher power trying to get back at me. The queen suddenly reaches down and attempts to kiss me. I pull away and hiss. Screw whatever higher power wants me to get raped. The queen smiles and chuckles at my hissing. "Fine. I don't need your mouth. All I need is your tongue. Now, we can do this two ways. One, you be a good little slut and fuck me. If you're good I might even shove a few gold coins up your cunt and let you fish them out. Two, I slit your throat and rut against your dead thigh for a few minutes. Now, what will-". A banging on the door stops us. "Open up!". Krev resumes pounding on the door after she yells. Thank the gods. I'm saved.

The queen looks towards the door and scoffs. "Go away!". More banging. Elisif looks at me and hisses, "If they come through that door, then you die. Now, tell them to go away.". I nod and take a deep breath. "**RAPE**!". We move at the same time. Elisif's blade slides across my throat as my claws run along the length of her neck. The only difference is our depth. Elisif was distracted and pulled back beforehand. Her knife opens my throat, but no deeper than a cut from a piece of paper. My claws _rip_ the living oblivion out of her neck. The queen of Skyrim gags as she stumbles backwards, her bloody knife falling to the ground. That's when the door _cracks_ open.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

The second I see the queen I start charging her. I feel my inner wolf straining to get out, but I fight her back into her cage. It's too soon. I'd end up getting myself killed. I'll just have to wait. Just for a little bit. I'm almost upon the woman when I stop. Elisif is wobbling and looking at the ground, and blood is pouring out from between her hands that are clasped at her throat. I feel Krev beside me, and together we both look at the Khajiit lying on Elisif's bed. Her throat is bleeding a little, but it's tears that are pouring down her face as she looks at us. "I didn't. She just.". She barely whispers, "I was scared. I thought she wasn't going to stop.".

My inner wolf is completely calm as I slide over to her and take her in my arms. My lover buries her head in my chest and wraps her arms around me as she cries. That's when Elisif _thumps_ to the ground. The Khajiit screams and begins crying even harder. I keep comforting her as Krev walks over to the body. She pushes the queen onto her back and commands both of us, "Stay here. I'll be back.". I nod and the woman rushes off. I'm not sure why, but she does. I keep trying to calm the Khajiit down as she wails. "You didn't mean it. She was a rapist. You had to do it.". I hear footsteps, but it's not Krev who returns. Tullius screams, "What in oblivion is going on here?!".

* * *

**Njada POV:**

I scream and whip my horse faster. Ria is in front of me and desperately firing her bow. A pained '_ah_' comes from Skjor as she fires, but the werewolf doesn't go down. Damned bastard. He thought he could get away with killing Kodlak. We aren't fucking idiots! We saw Skjor huddled in the darkest corner of the cave, his bloody dagger still in his hand. He tried to claim it was The Silver Hand. Idiot. Ria tired to trick him and act like we believed him. I think if we'd gotten close enough she would have killed him, but I'll never truly know. I blew the plan by screaming and charging him. Skjor dodged me and used the new opening to escape us. Now we're hunting him down like the dog he is.

Ria briefly left the chase to go tell our fellow Companions (who are in Falkreath) about what Skjor did. They'll be joining us shortly. Unfortunately, someone else is to. The Silver Hand are on our trail, and occasionally we'll see one of their scouts in the trees. Damn it. My current plan (as temporary leader as dictated by Ria) is to kill Skjor, return to Jorrvaskr, and come up with a better plan from there. The only thing that isn't working out is the first part. Skjor is running westward as quickly as he can. Ria managed to scream at me that she thinks he's following Aela's trail, but I don't believe it. That would just be stupid.

Right? Well... Maybe. Is he trying to find Aela and join her? Oh fuck! I whip my horse even closer to Ria. My 'lover' (she screamed at me when I called her that) looks at me and mouths 'what'. I scream my theory at her. My friend's eyes go wide and she screams back, "Like oblivion are we going to let that happen!". We both whip our horses into a frenzy. Ria pulls back her bow and _pings_ her arrow at Skjor. He roars as the arrow finds his mark and he goes down. Skjor desperately tries to get to his feet. It's actually almost pathetic to watch. The gigantic wolf slowly pushing himself up, his rippling neck and veins revealing themselves to me. Begging me to rip them open and stop him. That's when I strike.

* * *

**Note: Alright, even more choices.**

**Dark Souls 2: Not much I can really work with here, but I've gone on less (The Wolf Queen's Bitch). I suppose this would be about the Cursed One's journey and not so much about romance. Maybe a small scene if I feel like it, but I highly doubt that's possible. As per tradition of Dark Souls, lots of dying would be involved.**

**The Elder Scrolls: Just another Skyrim, Oblivion, or Morrowind story with a female Khajiit.**

**So, that concludes the 'lesbian' choices. Now, onto something slightly different. I'm going to add a few stories where a male is the main character. I'm going to be honest here. The female stories have a significant advantage over the male ones. Mostly because I have a female perspective on things, and I'm more familiar with female and female romances. Anyway, choices await.**

**Dragon Age Origins: Male City Elf (Mage)/Zevran. Basically the same as the Leliana story. Male Grey Warden trying to stop the events of Origins and eventually romancing Zevran along the way. I'll have a better description later (if this one makes it to the next stage).**

**Dragon Age 2: Male Hawke/Fenris. Never done the romance with Fenris, but a few of my friends have recommended it. And, it's easy enough to pop the game in and check it out real quick. It's suppose to be good, but I don't really know.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition: Male Dwarf Rouge/The Iron Bull. I'm not that crazy about Iron Bull (considering he dies every three seconds and uses up every last potion), but it would also focus more on the story than the romance. Not that I don't like Iron Bull's romance or anything, it's just more 'physical' than any of the other romances in the game.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition: Male Qunari Warrior/Dorian. I've played Dorian's romance once before, and I like him as a character. Again, it would focus more on the story with Dorian thrown in there.**

**Finally, one heterosexual choice. I really doubt this one even makes it to the next stage. It's just. I don't want to write heterosexual. It's not me. I'm sorry it you're ever waiting for a story from me about straight characters. It's probably not going to happen. Anyway, last choice.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition: Solas/Female Elf (Mage). This is the one story where the Female Elf is set in stone. Solas won't romance anyone who isn't a female elf. It's extremely silly, but rules are rules. I don't really care for the Solas romance, or him as a character. In my eyes he's a whinny elf who only has an interest in people of his own race. But I suppose I enjoy playing as a female elf, and I could always add Sera in for some writing relief once in a while.**

**That's it. I'll have it narrowed down a little next time. I'd also like to say that any of the 'Khajiits' or 'Inquisitors' can be changed at any point before the first chapter of the story is posted. A warrior Qunari could be changed to a mage Human or rogue Elf. A Khajiit could easily become a Bosmer. The 'Undead' can't really be changed. Human is human. That's all.**


	21. Crashing Down

**Krev POV:**

I rush back up the stairs, a towel in my hands. The Queen of Skyrim lies dead. I can't say I'm not pleased. I despise big people who step on smaller people, and trying to rape your servant counts as 'stepping on a smaller person'. Yes, the Khajiit was indeed a criminal, but nobody deserves to get raped. When I walk through the door into the queen's room I freeze. General Tullius has his sword drawn and is advancing on the two cowering women. Elisif's cold body lies on the floor, a wet spot staining her dress. I instantly react by throwing myself between the two (three?) and drawing my own blade. "Stand back!". I shake my head as the man screams.

Tullius seems shocked by my defiance, but it works. It calms him down a little and he puts up his sword. I put up mine. We both eye each other, but he's the first one to talk. "Why are you harboring these criminals? They murdered the queen! They're treasonous!". I shake my head and point at Elisif's body. "She was a monster and a criminal. She tried to rape her jester. The poor Khajiit only fought back out of fear of her virtue and life. As a officer of the Imperial Legion, you _know_ it's your sworn duty to protect the citizens of Skyrim from criminals. That's what Elisif was.". The man shakes his head. "I'm suppose to protect the people from common criminals and thugs, not Elisif. Never Elisif.".

He almost seems pained as he continues. "Elisif's always had a liking for serving girls.". Something clicks in my mind. "This wasn't the first time?!". I try to keep the anger out of my voice, but some of it leaks through anyway. "Yes. Elisif's taken out her anger and lust on many serving girls over the last few months. I tried to stop her, but the queen demanded I butt out. I left her alone, and I was sworn to hide the bodies later. It was the queen's will. I'm sworn to serve the queen no matter what, and no matter how.". He can't meet my eyes as he talks, and he even sounds remorseful. However, he quickly goes back to normal and looks at the Khajiit.

"But none of that matters. The queen lies dead, and the jester is at fault. Her head rolls tomorrow morning after the body has been buried, and the news has spread. Erikur will have to sit on the throne until we find a more suited leader.". He draws his blade once again and motions the Khajiit towards him. "Come on. Your head was suppose to roll once already. You'll just make it harder by fighting.". His voice raises a little at the end like he's uncertain if the Khajiit will do what he wants or not. The answer is rather obvious. Aela puts herself between the Khajiit and Tullius. I put myself between Aela and Tullius. Now the man will have to fight two women to get to the innocent jester.

The man sighs and puts his sword back up. "Fine. I'll at least need to arrest the jester. Just to appease the court.". I open my mouth to argue, but another voice cuts me off. "I'll go.". All of us turn our attention to the Khajiit. She slowly steps forward and gets past Aela and me. All Aela and I can do is watch as she holds her hands out for Tullius. "I'll go. Just don't hurt anyone.". Aela is the first to react. The woman stands by the Khajiit's side and argues, "If she goes, then I do.". Tullius shrugs. "Fine by me. Just let the court do its job.". I start to step forward, but both of the women stop me. "No!". They speak as one as Tullius shackles them and yanks on the chain.

I watch them go off, then start trailing after them. The city is dead and the jail is cold, but I follow them all the way. The two are stripped of their belongings, given rags to wear, and thrown in a cell. Afterwards, I walk with Tullius back to the palace. As we go I decide to talk. "You aren't going to arrest me?". He shakes his head. "I didn't want to arrest the stable worker, but I didn't have time to argue.". Silence for a long while. "Are you going to let them go free?". Tullius stops walking and we turn to one another. "You and I both know the Khajiit's fate, and unfortunately the stable worker has thrown herself in with her. Just let them remain ignorant. It's for the best.".

Before I can speak again, he turns and leaves. Well, fuck Tullius and whatever fucked up plan he has. I turn back and starting heading towards the prison. It's my fault the Khajiit is in there. She yelled 'rape' and both of us heard. I wanted to act, but something held me back. Aela was the one who went pounding up the stairs and got stuck by the door. All I did was kick the door in and find the body. I also left before Tullius found them. If I'd been there I might have been able to stop him, or at least be in the prison cell beside them. Sybille used her power to manipulate them, Elisif used her power to try to rape the Khajiit, and Tullius is using his power to kill them both.

All of them are fucked up people, and I won't let my allies get stepped on any more. It might be highly illegal (it is), but I'm going to find a way to get them out of jail. Those two won't die on my behalf. I'm walking down the stairs to their cell when I hear someone talking. I freeze up, flatten myself against the wall, and scoot forward. Finally, I see who it is. Sybille. The woman is smirking and walking back and forth in front of Aela and the Khajiit's cell. She suddenly stops and starts talking. "Well, isn't this a surprise? The puppy dog and pussycat got locked away, did they? I heard Elisif tried to make one of you her bitch, and you didn't let her.".

A snarl from the Khajiit. "Heh. Keep growling. Maybe it'll get you somewhere.". She keeps pacing. "You know, I never understood why the evildoers always felt the need to monologue, but now I think I understand. It's gloating!". She stops pacing. "And damn it, I love to gloat. So, here we are.". She turns back so she's facing the imprisoned women. "You remember that little trip I sent you on? Of course you do. Do you know why I commanded you to kill those men?". A small silence. "Because they were getting better.". Wait, what? I start listening intently. Did Sybille decide to step on the rights of multiple people? "You see my dear animals, I'm a vampire.".

"For months I'd been feeding off those soldiers, but then they started recovering. Started crying and trying to get away whenever I felt the need to feed off of them. Pathetic really. I wasn't too concerned for a while, then one of them managed to scream 'help!' while I was drinking from him. I knew it was only a matter of time before they recovered, then told someone what I'd been doing to them. So, I had you two idiots go out and kill them. Innocent soldiers. They didn't have a care in the world, and now their blood is on your hands. It's almost poetic really. Two murderers caught while killing the queen. Hmm. The papers will love running that headline.".

The papers won't get the chance. Sybille killed the queen. Well, kind of. She set the jester and stable worker up, put them in the situation they were in, and played everyone. If the jester hadn't been jailed, then Elisif wouldn't have met her. Then, if Elisif hadn't met her she wouldn't try to rape her and die. It makes sense. Sybille put all of these things into motion, and now she's letting someone else take the blame. I'm not going to allow that. Sybille is a vampire, but I bet she bleeds just like a werewolf does. I silently draw my blade, take three steps forward (I'm right behind her), and plunge my blade through her stomach. The woman gags and tries to turn around.

I smirk and push her to the ground. She keeps moving around and trying to escape, but it appears I've ripped her lungs to shreds because she isn't calling for help. Perfect. I raise my blade out of her a little, then _shink_ in back down into her guts. She gags as she dies, but I don't take my blade out of her until the smell of piss reaches my nose. If she's voided her bowels, then she _must_ be dead. However, I chop off her head for good measure. Finally, I'm free to look up at the prisoners. Both of them are huddled together in the farthest corner and look at me with fear in their eyes. I quickly put my blade up and step up to the bars of their cell. I don't blame them. After what they've been through, who wouldn't be afraid? "It's okay. We're going to get you out of here.".

* * *

**Ria POV:**

Njada and I ride side by side, and the rest of The Companions are thundering after us. The trail of blood is easy enough to follow, but we're still pushing our horses as fast as we can. How Skjor's alive I'll never know. His throat was slashed open on the side and his blood must be pumping hot and heavy; yet still he manages to run on, and yet again spit in our faces. I can see him a ways away, but we aren't close enough to fire at him. A few of us let lose our arrows and solidly hit him a few hours ago. The results tell how well our plan worked out. He's still heading westwards, and by now there's no questioning why. He's following Aela's trail. For some reason he thinks that Aela and the Newblood will help him. Poor bastard.

If we don't tear him apart, then they will. Screaming from behind us reminds me that we have other things to worry about. The Silver Hand are still trailing after us, and they've been closing distance. Those bastards even had the guts to send a few messenger birds ahead of us in the general direction of Solitude. We've shot them all down, but the birds have me concerned. Why are they trying to reach Solitude? Are they asking the Jarl for help, or contacting someone? Damn it, why can't things just be easy for once?! Skjor suddenly hobbles and starts to limp, then regains himself and resumes running. Looks like it's time for the final push. We won't fail this time. Hopefully.

* * *

**Bartholomew POV:**

My men (Krev's men) are getting anxious. The Companions are heading towards Solitude, and my reports tell me that they're on the trail of one of the werewolves. There's no harm done if they kill it (our main priority is to slay the beast), but Krev will be angry. She wants to make the beasts pay and look into their eyes as they die. I've sent a few birds in an attempt to reach her. The Companions' archers have shot a majority of them down. However, only a majority. One or two have gotten through while the archers were busy. Krev will come. She has to. As she once told me when I first joined, 'Moon up and the hunt is on.'. And, the moon is starting to rise in the west. Time for the hunt.


	22. Caging the Wolves

**Krev POV:**

I jam my blade into the lock and _crack_ it to the side. The lock crumples and falls to the floor. Aela and the Khajiit slowly stand, and both of them seem to finally realize what's going on. That's why I'm nearly ran over as they plow through the door and start frantically looking for their stuff. They find their belongings in a chest shoved in the corner. However, neither of them looked pleased. As they dress I realize why. The two are dressed as a stable hand and jester. There's no way in oblivion those clothes will protect them in a fight. I slowly walk over to them and put on a hand on both of their left shoulders. Both of them turn their heads so they're looking at me.

"Do you two know where your actual armor went? I don't want to have to drag your bodies out of the city.". The last part was suppose to be taken as a joke, but both of them are serious as they shrug and begin looking. It takes a few minutes, but eventually they find their actual belongings in another chest. Aela and her lover begin frantically putting on their armor. I smile at their enthusiasm; however, my smile falters when I see Aela's armor. She swore to me she wasn't 'the Huntress' when we first met, but I also swore I wasn't 'the Skinner'. Aela's armor is Ancient Nord Armor, and she starts putting on blue warpaint in three long slashes diagonally down her face.

Could she really be the Huntress? I carefully examine her face as she straps a bow and some arrows to her back. Oh fuck. Bow and arrows. And, now that I look closer at her I notice something. Fix the slightly smashed nose and slam some red hair on her head, then she's a dead ringer for the Huntress who's killed so many of my men (and even struck me with an arrow on a few occasions). I look over at the Khajiit. It's no use. She's so dyed and pierced that I can't even begin to see underneath what the queen had done to her. I'm calming myself down when the Khajiit feeds the flames. She puts on fur armor, pulls out a hide shield, and grabs an iron sword.

A smile crosses her face and she puts the shield on and holds the sword like they're lovers. One of my spies reported a few months ago that The Companions had gotten a new member. We'd laughed her off at the time. She was an orange (or was it red?) Khajiit who carried the worst armor and weapons. Now she could be standing right beside me with the blood of villagers on her spiritual hands. I slowly pull my knife from my boot. The two are still adjusting and getting themselves ready, so they aren't looking at me. I slip my knife into my belt so I can yank it out at a moment's notice. "Aela, I have a question. Where are you from?". She absentmindedly waves me off before answering.

"Whiterun.". She seems to answer without thinking. And, she suddenly freezes up. Slowly, she turns her head to me. Aela takes one step closer to me. I allow it. She takes another step. And another. And another. Our noses are almost brushing as her familiar blue eyes drill into mine. "_Skinner_.". Aela the Huntress barely whispers it, but it has the wanted effect. The word slides from her mouth like a smoke serpent and smacks me in the face. A shudder runs through my body. No. No no no no no! I trusted them! The Khajiit was nice and kind, she would never hurt anyone! I even dared to think of her as a new friend! The woman glaring at me was polite, and it was painfully clear she cared for the Khajiit.

They're good people, they can't be the monsters who eat anyone that stands in their way! The Khajiit begins fiddling with her shield and drops it on the floor. She curses and picks it up, but knocks her head against the chest and whimpers. Look at that! That can't be a murderous loon! Aela's eyes are drilling into me and I know the truth. And, everything falls into place. The two came to Solitude to escape me, they hid under the table and pretended to fuck to hide from me, and they were terrified I was the Skinner because I would kill them. The Khajiit suddenly seems to realize Aela and I are silent.

She looks over and scoffs. "What's going on? You two having a staring contest?". She draws closer and runs one of her hands along the back of Aela's shoulders. "Am I not your number one anymore?". I start reaching for my knife. "_Do it and I'll eat your damned hand_.". I freeze and the Khajiit looks at Aela with shock on her face. However, I see the change in the woman. Her darkened eyes gleam from her tense face, and her slightly darker hair is becoming more ragged like fur. She wants to change. She's begging me to give her a reason to change. The Khajiit suddenly swallows, so I dart my eyes to her for a second. I look back at Aela almost instantly, but I still got a decent look at the Khajiit.

Her ears are pinned back, her eyes are likewise dark, and her fur is becoming longer. She's waiting for the sign from Aela that it's time to change. I can't let them get to that. My hand twitches for my knife. It's all Aela needs. My jaw _pops_ as Aela's clawed hand knocks me across the room, and my helmet starts ringing against my head as I hit the wall. "_RUN_!". It's a gargled sound deep from Aela's throat, and it's more like a bark or whimper than an actual human voice. But it's apparently enough. I hear two sets of footsteps _click_ up the stairs and the door being flung open. Finally, two long and low howls of freedom.

Oh shit. Oh shit oh shit oh shit! I just let two armed, armored, and insane psychopaths on the loose! And, now they're two gigantic monster who can fit entire babies in their maws! I push myself up and start stumbling towards the door. I let them go, so it's my responsibility to hunt them down and kill them. It's... going to hurt more than usual. I trusted them. They were my friends (at least, the Khajiit was). It's going to be tough to put a sword through them, but it has to be done. They've killed almost a hundred innocent villagers and eaten multiple corpses. If I don't kill them, then they'll be free to return to their rein of terror. Maybe I would have let them live under other circumstances.

If they hadn't killed so many, then I might have let them go free if they promised not to return to civilization. An entire city lies almost dead because of them. If they had shown me they could control themselves, then I might have allowed them to go to a normal prison to rot for the rest of their lives. They attacked Solitude and almost killed again. If they had showed actual remorse and caring, then I would have allowed them to go back to Falkreath and rebuild. Running away while howling isn't remorseful or caring. Damn it, there's too many 'ifs' and not enough action! I finally get out of the prison and look around. Time to find some wolves.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

I pound through the dark streets, but ignore anyone and everything. I need to get out. Solitude and Haafingar aren't safe anymore. The Skinner is here, and she's coming for us. I can't let her catch us. I'm the alpha. It's my duty to get us out of this. I take a second to shake my head as I run. I'm thinking like a damned animal, and thinking like an animal is what got us into this mess in the first place. My lover whimpers to my side. She's just as terrified as I am, but I can't take a moment to comfort her. We still need to focus on getting out of the city. I should have killed Krev. I definitely should have killed Krev. I just got caught up in the moment and was too afraid to attack.

Now I need to get us as far away from her as possible. I see the gates of Solitude up ahead. Perfect. I lower my head and begin running as fast as I can. The wood _cracks_ around my thick skull, but I don't stop running. Time for the real fleeing to begin. I instantly scrabble up the steep incline to my right and disappear into the woods. My lover stays by my side all the while, but for some reason doesn't follow me into the woods. I stop and turn around. She's struggling up the last part of the incline. Damn it! I forgot she's bigger than me! Of _course_ she'll have trouble getting up the incline. Fuck, why didn't I remember that about her?!

I rush over to her, bite into the skin on the back of her neck, and start heaving her up. The bigger werewolf whimpers and starts kicking faster than ever. _That's it. Just kick a little more. You're almost there. It's going to be fine. _That's when I see someone at the bottom of the incline. Krev is going as fast as she can, and she'll be upon us in a few seconds. _Oh shit_! I start heaving her up faster than before. Krev sees us struggling and climbs faster. I've barely gotten my lover up when Krev's sword lashes out where the werewolf had just been. My lover snarls and attempts to slash Krev's face open, but I yank my pack member back. We need to move.

The Khajiit takes the hint and we start running. And, the sound of metal scrapping against dirt tells me that The Silver Hand leader has fallen down the incline, but I'm not sure for how long. The woods fly by us as I push thoughts of Krev to the back of my mind. That's it. We have to leave for somewhere else that's either out of Skyrim, or is in the most remote area possible. Maybe Winterhold or Dawnstar. We just need to get out of public eye and live in the wild. Hunting, fishing, and all the other survival crap. If need be, then we can go feral. It's not a happy or long life, but I'm certain we could pull it off. Or at least die together in one final fight against our enemies.

I'm still thinking when we burst from the woods into the open plains of fuck-if-I-know-where. Damn it! We must have gotten turned around! I wanted to escape into the mountains, not wherever the fuck this is! I'm about to turn around when I see a black shape rapidly moving towards us. His scent reaches me and I peel back my lips, a deep growl coming from my throat. My lover does the same. I'm not sure who's coming at us, but they can't be good. I have enough to deal with, and another werewolf isn't going to mess with me. Whoever it is, I'm going to tear out their throat and keep running away from Krev. I howl and my lover does the same. Without thinking, we both charge.

* * *

**Note: Yeah, this is going to end _real_ soon. So is 'Herding Love'. The two are reaching their natural stopping points, and I've seen what can happen if a writer pushes a story beyond that point. So, here are the options for the next story that made it to the second faze. The heterosexual title was knocked out fairly quickly, and after some consideration I've decided something. I'm going to stick with what I know (a female perspective and lady bits) when writing the next story. In due time I could come to write a male/male story, but it's not going to be this time. So, onto the choices!**

**Dragon Age Origins: Leliana/Female Warden. The Warden would have the City Elf background, be female (obviously), and be either a rogue or warrior (most likely warrior). I'm not sure if any of the DLC content would come into play. If it did, then it would most likely only be 'The Stone Prisoner' and 'Leliana's Song'. The romance is sweet and can stand by itself, but I might add a few scenes just to add to the story.**

**Dragon Age Two: Female Hawke/Isabela or Female Hawke/Merrill. Still haven't decided if Merrill or Isabela will be the other romantic partner. I generally play as a ****sarcastic/charismatic Hawke, so there's that. As always, a warrior Hawke (although a mage Hawke isn't entirely out of the question). The later chapters might go a little into 'Dragon Age: Inquisition' for a small epilogue, but it wouldn't be anything too lengthy. One or two romance scenes might be added like above.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition: Sera/Female Inquisitor. This is the only one where the Inquisitor is now set in stone. I considered a Qunari warrior, but decided against it. Instead, it'll go the opposite direction. A Dalish (obviously elven) mage Inquisitor. It's surprisingly fun watching Sera struggle with her love for someone who's almost everything she stands against. Again, a few more scenes might be added.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition: Josephine/Female Inquisitor. I haven't done the full Josephine romance yet, but I know her dialogue when breaking up with her made me feel guilty as hell. Mostly because I spent the next five minutes chatting Sera up and starting her romance. Anyway, the parts I saw were sweet. I'm thinking a female Qunari two-handed warrior. More story driven than romance, but a few sweet moments added here and there.**

**Dark Souls: Female Chosen Undead/Still No idea. This one would focus more on the story than anything. So, lots and lots of dying. The Undead would be a warrior, so even more death. Eventually a few sexual scenes with one of the female characters. Maybe a little romance that'll most likely end up failing. My character usually ends up being a psychopath, so be warned about that. And, by 'psychopath' I mean 'I stab everyone for their sweet loot and to see if I can kill them yet'. Also, it should be noted I rack up sins pretty quick because of the whole 'I bet my sword can kill them in one hit' thing. I might consider writing it in the middle of NG++ or NG+++ just so the Undead starts with something other than a shitty sword and shield.**

**Dark Souls 2: This would be about the Cursed One's journey and not so much about romance. A small scene with the queen or any female character if it presents itself. However, this might actually end up being a romanceless and sexless story. Most likely it will be.**

**Skyrim: Just another Skyrim story. I'll flesh this choice out later if it makes it to the next faze.**

**Well, that's it. I'll narrow it down even more (and give real descriptions) next time.**


	23. Coming Together

The beast yelps as we pin him to the ground. My lover is going after his stomach and I'm going at his throat. However, the scent suddenly becomes familiar. I howl and my lover stops attacking. I look into the eyes of the werewolf and see Skjor's terrified gaze. I peel back my lips and growl. "Kill.". My command is simple and my lover yanks back her head to disembowel my old friend. Then, the thundering of hooves causes all three of us to freeze. We look up and I see Njada and Ria riding towards us. The two get within ten feet before stopping, and the rest of The Companions come with them. All of them freeze and talk among themselves.

In my current form I can't _really_ understand them. I get the general idea, but I'm still a little too feral to really know. I snort as Njada rides forward. She clears her throat and speaks slowly so I can understand. "Aela and the newblood I assume?". I nod and she continues. "That's Skjor. He murderer Kodlak and we've come to carry out justice. Please release him.". Something clicks in my brain. Skjor can tell them. Skjor can tell them that I didn't cause the killings in Whiterun! The gods smile on me for once because I feel Skjor returning to his human form. Once the naked man is below me I look down at him. The fear in his eyes is absolutely delicious. I peel back my lips even more to show all of my fangs.

"Tell. Them.". Njada asks, "What-". I roar at Skjor. "TELL THEM!". The terrified man pisses himself as he begs, "Please! I didn't mean it!". Njada rides a little closer. "Mean what?". I roar at Skjor and he breaks. A little. "If I tell them, will you promise to protect me?". I roar again and he crumbles before me. "Yes! Yes! I did it! I left the door unlocked the night the newblood was transformed! I'm responsible for the deaths in Whiterun! I lied and set Aela up so she would take the blame! I told Kodlak and killed him so I could keep my place in The Companions!". I look at Njada and release Skjor. The man instantly crawls over to Njada and cowers behind her horse.

The older woman looks stunned and turns so she can see Skjor. "Is this true, or were you saying it because she trapped you?". I expect him to lie, but for once in his life he does something that helps someone else. "Yes. It's true.". Njada turns to me and rides a tiny bit closer. We're only a few feet apart now. "What about Falkreath? Did you kill those people?". I nod and Ria starts riding forward. "They only killed those people because we chased them off and turned them into savages. We're just as much to blame as them. If they were guilty of the Whiterun killings, then I think they'd be more accountable. But they weren't. They were just two werewolves giving into nature after being chased away by their friends.".

Now Vilkas rides forward to stand by Njada and Ria. "We can't just let them get off the hook. They killed people.". Njada nods and offers me a small smile. "We'll lift the bounty on you and Whiterun, but we'll have to turn you in at Falkreath.". Her smile widens a little. "Of course we'll just tell the Jarl who killed everyone, but we can't force you to go there to face justice. And the Jarl can't chase you into Whiterun. It'd be a real shame if you just stayed in Whiterun, wouldn't it?". My lover is twitching beside me. She wants it. So do I. But Krev is still chasing us, and she could tell them about us killing the queen and attacking Solitude. But who would believe her? She's the enemy. I smile a little and nod.

Someone in the back of the group lets out a cheer and a few others follow. Farkas reaches down, knocks Skjor over the head, and slides him up into his saddle. Someone (probably Athis) complains about letting us off too easily, but everyone else is generally pleased. That's when I hear someone charging through the woods behind us, and everyone freezes. Krev comes flying out of the woods with the look of a mad woman. She spots us and charges. An arrow digging into the ground a few feet in front of her stops her. Ria reloads her bow and challenges the leader. "Come on. Take one more step and you're dead.".

Krev lowers her head a little and snarls. For a moment I grow cocky and bark at her. That's when more thundering hooves catch all of our attentions. A small group of Silver Hands comes running over the nearest hill. They're roughly the same size as The Companions, but there are still a few more here and there. My gods, how many more people can show up to this confrontation?! It's like a small city has gathered! Oh well, I suppose this was all going to happen at some point. While everyone's looking at the Silver Hands I hear Krev begin moving. I turn to snarl at her, but it's too late. Her shoulder slams into me and her sword comes down.

_Right_ before it hits me my lover goes into action. She lunges forward and bites onto the sword. It stops the weapon from hitting me, but it slices the shit out of the werewolf's mouth. She howls in agony as she wretches the sword out of Krev's grip and tosses it to the side. Our enemy snarls, but pulls a dagger from her boot. That's all The Companions and The Silver Hand need. A miniature war starts. The main battle is to our side, so Krev and I are generally by ourselves (well, I have my lover on my side). Some man is leading Krev's forces, and Njada is leading The Companions. A few arrows fly into the air, but close range is the way this fight will be settled.

The Khajiit and I seem to move as one. We put as much distance between Krev and us as possible (I barely miss the swing of her knife), then begin circling her. A few of Krev's men come over to help, but she stops them. "NO! Get back! These wolves are mine!". I smirk as my lover and I keep circling. Looks like pride and a sense of duty will be this killer's downfall. She's going to try to take two werewolves on at once because of 'duty' and 'honor'. Pathetic. I hold duty and honor high in my standards, but I wouldn't take on two dangerous enemies at once. Especially without a sword. Krev seems to come to the realization that her puny knife isn't going to kill either of us.

She sees her sword to the right of her and starts running. My lover beats her to it. _Right_ as Krev reaches it a gigantic paw comes crashing down on the blade, and the next second my lover is roaring right in Krev's face. The Silver Hand screams and attempts to stab my love in the eye. Her plan backfires. My love dodges the blow with a grace she shouldn't have and bites down on Krev's armored arm. Then, she tosses her to me. I howl before opening my mouth and catching her torso in between my fangs. I'm about to crunch down on her armor when something slides into my shoulder. I open my jaws and scream in pain as the pressure from my shoulder intensifies.

I drop Krev and begin thrashing around. The woman's knife slowly leaves my shoulder and I instantly start backing away. Damn bitch! The woman picks herself off the ground with her bloody knife and charges me. I swipe at her with my paw and stun her (the leader also drops her knife to the ground), but her thick armor prevents me from hurting her. I growl and headbutt her to the ground. I'm about to begin jumping on her when my lover rushes over and sniffs Krev. I assume she's seeing if she's alive. I'm about to howl or bark a warning when Krev strikes. She grabs my love by the head and slams her helmet into the Khajiit's face. My love cries out and tries to hobble away, but Krev is faster than her.

She leaps up and I charge. However, the Silver Hand manages to start punching my lover before I can make it to her. Her punching might hurt my love, but her puny fist doesn't stop me as I run her over. The woman groans from the dirt and my lover howls in what she thinks is triumph. Then, Krev leaps back up and grabs my love by the tail. The Khajiit snarls and rushes at Krev. Krev takes a step to the right and soon I'm watching the stupidest fight in history. My lover is chasing her tail (which Krev is clinging to like it'll save her life) in a gigantic circle, snapping and roaring at her own damn body part. I sigh and charge. That's when something crashes into the side of my head and things go black.

* * *

**Note: Almost there. After my two current stories wrap up I'm going to focus on ALAA. Hopefully that'll wrap up soon afterwards. Then, we'll get onto the new story. Only a few choices have been eliminated, but now I'm going to give a rough description.**

**Dragon Age Origins:**

**Western Fire: ****Leliana/Female Warden. A young and violent elf lives in the worst part of her a****lienage; therefore, her rage at the world is allowed to smolder and grow. Along with her hate and prejudice.**** Her hatred of humans is only eclipsed by her hatred of 'thieves' (rogues/bards) and mages. On the day of her arranged wedding everything went to shit because of humans, and she was conscripted into the Grey Wardens. She rebels every single step of the way and never listens to anyone else's beliefs. Then, she meets a bard named Leliana. Every quip she has dies in her throat, and any violent remark towards the human comes out in a nervous titter of noises that don't qualify as words. Slowly, a bond begins to form. But will it be enough when the rest of the team comes to hate the elf?**

**Dragon Age Two:**

**The Storm's Shadow: ****Female Hawke/Merrill. Hawke has learned by now to hide her insecurities behind jokes and sarcasm. Even Varric thinks of the hero as a carefree spirit without any problems besides the demons that come after her. Merrill is the only one she lets see the 'unfunny' Hawke, and that's only because the elf has an 'innocence' about her. Luckily for Merrill, Hawke is one of the few warriors who backs up the mages and doesn't have a problem with blood magic. Merrill is instantly drawn to the woman, but Hawke still feels the need to hide behind her shield of jokes and quips. And, there are more important things going on. Like the world going to hell.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition:**

**The Spark's Reaper: ****Sera/Female Inquisitor. As the bards say, 'Sera was never an agreeable girl.'. Sera is instantly disappointed the second she sees the Inquisitor who followed her notes is just another 'elfy' elf. One who spits magic and has Dalish tattoos all over her face. At first, Sera reluctantly follows the Inquisitor on every mission. That's where she starts noticing something. The Inquisitor stands up for the little people, keeps mages on a tight leash (even though she herself is one), and does the 'right' thing. Slowly, Sera can feel herself falling for someone who's the exact opposite of her. Then, C****orypheus fucks shit up. Again.**

**There we go. Make your choices and I'll have them up in a chapter or two (if the story is still going by then).**


	24. Freedom

**Dovahkiin POV:**

I see Aela fall to the ground and instantly freeze. Krev begins moving behind me, but I shoot off towards my lover before she can stop me. However, the woman doesn't have the sense to let go of my tail. Instead, she bounces along behind me as I run to Aela's side. Once I'm standing beside my lover I freeze, then lean down towards her and start sniffing. She whimpers and I realize she's alive. Good. One less thing I have to worry about. I suddenly feel Krev's hand leave my tail and instantly flip around. As the woman stands I bare my teeth and let out a low growl. Krev doesn't stop like she has before. She stands tall, holds out her arm, and demands, "Come on. I'm sick of this shit. Just you and me. We'll see who's left standing.". Stupid human request. I roar and throw myself at her. She leaps to the side at the last minute and hops onto my back.

I scream and jump into the air. As I start to fall I twist myself around so I land on Krev. The Silver Hand gasps and releases me. I roll off of her and fall into a pouncing position. The second she's up I grab onto her arm and throw her across the battlefield. As she tries to stand I run over her like I'm a damned horse. I smirk as I turn around again and start heading back. This time Krev's up and ready when I start to run over her. And, my plan doesn't work out as well as last time.

Krev leaps onto my chest, wraps one arm around my neck, and uses her other to pull a knife from her boot. I snarl before she plunges the dagger into the side of my neck. I roar in pain, but the wound isn't enough to kill me. She rips her knife out and starts to swing it again. Okay, that's enough. I stop running and the woman falls off of me. Aela grumbles and slowly comes to. Perfect. I take Krev's momentary distraction to force my claws under her helm, then toss her helmet away from her. I'm raising my fist to crush her skull when the woman leaps up and tosses her knife at me. It was heading towards my chest, but I move at the last second and it sticks in my shoulder.

I howl in pain again, but shut up as Krev starts charging. I fall to all fours and scream my rage at her. It doesn't even faze her. All the woman has is another knife, and she isn't even wearing a helmet. I was preparing to kill her, but leap to the side at the last second. I can't do it. I can't kill Krev. She's in the right. Krev was willing to die in her feeble attempt to stop two murderous werewolves from killing again. Am I the bad guy? Krev comes charging at me again and I leap to the side again. I'm the bad guy. I'm the one the people cheer for the hero to kill. I'm the monster who's head the hero is suppose to carry back to their village to celebrate their victory.

I avoid a third of Krev's attacks. That's when Aela gets to her. My lover tackles her to the ground, stands over her prone body with her claws fully extended, and prepares the smash the woman's head in. I'm the only reason Krev survives. At the last second, I throw myself between Krev's head and Aela's claws. Krev screams in terror and Aela whimpers in confusion, but I'm unhurt by my lover's claws. Slowly, Aela backs up and barks at me. Then, when I don't move she lets out a growl deep from her throat. I look at her and shake my head. She roars once again. Krev is breathing heavily beneath me, and I can feel her beginning to move around.

She wants out. I reach below me and smash a paw over her torso. It keeps her from thrashing around. I look Aela again and shake my head. My lover roars once again in an attempt to get me to move. When I shake my head another time she finally gives up. Aela sighs and slides to the ground. I take the chance to look around. The battle is mostly over. The Companions are finishing off the last of The Silver Hand, and the remaining Silver Hand are either retreating or surrounded. I look at Krev underneath me. In a tale told by a bard Krev would have killed us. She would have avenged the fallen and taken off our heads. Unfortunately, this isn't a tale told by the bards.

We beat Krev, and now it's our choice what to do with her. Aela obviously wants to kill her. I don't. I lived my entire life trying to be like Krev. I wanted to be a figure people could look up to. I wanted to help the helpless, give back to the poor, and stand up to those with power. Now I'm a slobbering monster who only thinks of blood and meat. The world has already lost one good woman (the old me), but killing Krev would make the world lose two. I back away from Krev and Aela starts moving forward. I growl at her. My lover sighs, then lies back down on the ground. Slowly, Krev stands. She looks around and sees where her men have retreated.

She looks at me and whispers, "You're letting me go?". I nod. "You know this means nothing. You can let me live, but I can't allow you to continue to plague this world. I'll have to hunt you down. My honor and code of valor won't allow me to turn the other way. I'll have to kill you, or you'll have to outlive me.". I nod again. Aela lets out a growl, but a stern look from around Krev stops my lover. Krev gives me one last look. "I'm sorry.". Then, she turns and rushes after her men. As she goes I feel my transformation ending. I stand and allow myself to revert back. Aela does the same. The Companions gather in the middle of the battlefield. For a moment we're silent. Then, the cheer goes up.

* * *

Aela and I are silent as we ride back to Jorrvaskr. Once we're in Whiterun Hold we both silently fall to the back of the group. "Are you mad I let her go?". She shakes her head and looks over at me. Her borrowed robe and borrowed horse look odd on her, but I don't comment about it as she talks. "I was thinking about something else.". I nod and she continues. "I talked to Njada and Ria. I told them my thoughts.". I nod again. "Let's face facts. We're savages. You and I both know we were the happiest when we were hunting people down, ripping out their guts, and feasting on their flesh. Whatever we were before, the beasts inside of us have grown too fat to control.".

She looks down at her saddle. "I can feel it.". She barely whispers it. I nod in agreement. Ever since we've changed back I've been feeling the urge to transform back. To live free and wild like we were suppose to. "Do you want to go back to The Companions? Back to civilization?". She asks me with a worried look on her face. I bite my lip as I think. Clothing. Yeah, I could do without that. It'd make it easier to fuck Aela. Cooked meat. I've come to like eating raw meat in my stronger form. Howling, hunting, and fighting. That's all fun. No alcohol. Hmm. I suppose we can steal from a caravan when we have our wits about us and aren't hunting. Yeah, I can do with that. I look at Aela and tell her, "I think we both know what my answer is.".

* * *

Njada looks at Aela, then looks at me. "Are you sure you two want to do this?". We both nod and she sighs. "I'll get the bounty off of you in Whiteurn, but I can't do anything about Falkreath. Just... be careful. Go after deer and rabbits and shit. Don't start chomping down on villagers. Or at least go to some _other_ province. The Bosmer are so secluded you could probably eat all of them if you want.". We listen to a few more words, then say our farewells. Everyone in The Companions is emotional. Aela and I don't react. We're already shutting down and giving over. As soon as the goodbyes are said we leave the city and rush out to the nearest fields.

Aela takes me in her arms, spins me around, and kisses me. When she pulls back she whispers to me. "Farkas and Vilkas promised to 'take care' of Skjor by convincing Njada execution is justified. They also warned us that they might want to join us in a few years if they ever break.". I nod and kiss her again. This time when we pull back I'm the one to talk. "So, we're still _just_ an 'arrangement'?". She chuckles and leans in, then rests her forehead against mine. "I don't think we are.". I nod in agreement. Then, I feel the urge taking over. "Aela, are you sure you want to go feral?". She nods and her pupils dilate. I whimper and kneel down. Looks like time's wasting.

* * *

**Three Years Later**

**Krev POV:**

I run my fingers through my grey hair as I look at the recruits before me. A few years ago I was looked upon as a bandit. Now I'm considered a hero. Dangling from my neck is Aela the Huntress's tail. Most recruits like to claim I cut it off her while she was asleep because I was clever and quick. They ignore the fact is was a complete accident during our fight at Solitude, and that the werewolf in question still lives. Around my neck hangs the tooth of Aela's mate. It's a small one that came off when she bit my shield a year or so ago. Again, the recruits have it wrong. They like to claim I knocked it with a punch to the jaw. They also ignore that the werewolf is likewise alive.

"Are you ready to train?". The recruits mock howl back. Good. They have spirit. I can't say I blame them. Many of them have lost family members, loved ones, and friends to the wolves. Even today I regret my decision not to continue the fight outside of Solitude. The pack is currently the size of a small army. The Empire (the only ruling government now that Ulfric has been assassinated) promptly said 'fuck it, the wolves are your problem' when we begged for help. The Jarls have tried their best, but they know the werewolves can't be beaten by them. They need to focus on protecting their citizens. 'The Companions' have now become little more than a recruiting ground for the pack.

Each day more and more poor farmers and beggars head to Whiterun to seek out Njada Stone-Arm and her lover Ria (although the two are rarely in the city according to rumor). The two are the only Companions who 'recruit' members. The Jarl has tried to remove them, but it's useless. The two hide during the day when they're there, then sneak out at night to recruit. As for the pack itself, that's another story. Aela and her lover ravaged small villages and cities all over Skyrim, but they did it carefully. Never striking too hard or letting people who saw them live. Then, two other werewolves joined them. That's when the chaos started. They began stealing citizens and 'converting' them to the pack with their blood.

The wolves are still as smart as humans, but now they have no sense of responsibility or moral code. Their pack grew until they attacked Solitude and tried to 'convert' Queen Maven Black-Briar. Luckily, I'd planned on their attack and protected the city with my men. It was the first time they'd been stopped. They went back to ravaging and converting. Finally, the killings began. Entire cities and Holds (okay, only Dawnstar) were killed. Slowly, the poor and weak tried to join. The pack was glad to accept. The wolves now number in the hundreds. However, so do my men. Many young men and women flock to me for the taste of glory and honor. They wish to stand against the werewolves and fight back. I'm about to yell at my recruits when a real howl comes from outside. Good.

* * *

**Aela POV:**

I let out a long, low howl before passing by Krev's fortress in the snowy lands once known as Dawnstar. As always, she gives me her customary greeting. Having her archers try to hit me and my pack. One newer member yelps in fear, but none of us are hurt. My gigantic mate is running at my right side, and Njada is running at my left. My beta is usually at Whiterun, but today she decided to run with us. My small pack behind me is nothing of our strength. We have wolves all over the wildernesses of Skyrim. Farkas controls the east, Vilkas the west, Athis the north, Torvar the south, Njada the eastern center, and Ria the western center.

Njada and Ria generally give control of their packs over to their own betas so they can recruit in the city. My thoughts are interrupted when I find our resting place. A gigantic stone clearing covered in cliffs. Each cliff has a few small openings that hold our 'beds' made of fur and pelts. It's only a mile or so away from Krev. I howl and my pack spreads out. Finally, I revert to my human form. Everyone soon follows suit. As I climb into my makeshift bed my lover joins me. The pile of pelts and fur swallow us whole until we're warmed up.

I smile and snuggle beside her. As I drift into sleep I hear screaming from Krev's camp. Training her men. I yawn and drift deeper into sleep. Krev can scream at me as much as she wants and claim 'it's not over', but it is. At least for me. I have my mate, my 'pack', and occasionally some wine. What more could a woman want?

_The End_

* * *

**Note: I'd like to thank everyone who's ****reviewed**** and/or read my story. I definitely enjoyed writing this one and loved reading everyone's comments. Now, onto another matter. 'Herding Love' will be over soon, and I hope 'A Life Across the Ages' will be to. Once 'A Life Across the Ages' is over I'll start my next work. I'd like to stay with my 'one story minimum' this time. If I get the urge to open a second story, then I'll just reopen 'A New Order'. Now, here are the choices. As you can see, one got knocked off from last time. I'll post updates to 'Herding Love' and my profile. Expect a story set in stone soon.**

**Dragon Age Two:**

**The Storm's Shadow: ****Female Hawke/Merrill. Hawke has learned by now to hide her insecurities behind jokes and sarcasm. Even Varric thinks of the hero as a carefree spirit without any problems besides the demons that come after her. Merrill is the only one she lets see the 'unfunny' Hawke, and that's only because the elf has an 'innocence' about her. Luckily for Merrill, Hawke is one of the few warriors who backs up the mages and doesn't have a problem with blood magic. Merrill is instantly drawn to the woman, but Hawke still feels the need to hide behind her shield of jokes and quips. And, there are more important things going on. Like the world going to hell.**

**Dragon Age Inquisition:**

**The Spark's Reaper: ****Sera/Female Inquisitor. As the bards say, 'Sera was never an agreeable girl.'. Sera is instantly disappointed the second she sees the Inquisitor who followed her notes is just another 'elfy' elf. One who spits magic and has Dalish tattoos all over her face. At first, Sera reluctantly follows the Inquisitor on every mission. That's where she starts noticing something. The Inquisitor stands up for the little people, keeps mages on a tight leash (even though she herself is one), and does the 'right' thing. Slowly, Sera can feel herself falling for someone who's the exact opposite of her. Then, C****orypheus fucks shit up. Again.**

**There we go. Make your choices and I'll have them up on my profile fairly soon. Again, thank you all for reading this and sticking with me. I appreciate you all and I'm glad you've enjoyed my story to read it till the end. Without all of you, then this would be nothing. Thank you.**


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